Luis Enrique Leaves Six Out as Lens Vs Psg Title Decider Nears
PSG went into lens vs psg with six injured players missing from the squad, and that left Luis Enrique without part of the side he has used to chase the Ligue 1 title. A draw was enough to crown PSG French champions, while Lens still had a path to drag the race to the final day.
PSG Squad Cuts at Lens
Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Warren Zaire-Emery and Achraf Hakimi were all left out for the match at Lens. Lucas Chevalier was absent with a thigh injury, and Kang-in Lee missed out because of an ankle problem.
The omissions cut into the side’s structure at a point when PSG needed only to avoid defeat. Enrique’s selection also brought in youth-team players David Boly, Dimitri Lucea, Thomas Cordier and Bilal Laurendon, a clear sign that the bench had to absorb more of the load than usual.
Luis Enrique on PSG's Position
“I think that we needed these points. I think that we are already champions,” Enrique said, laying out how close PSG were to finishing the job in the league. His squad call left three members of the first-choice defensive line unavailable, with Hakimi among the names missing after the injury he picked up in the first leg of PSG’s win over Bayern Munich.
“It will be enough, I think, and it allows us to prepare the two final matches on an individual level before preparing for the Champions League final [against Arsenal],” he said. PSG were due to play Paris FC on Sunday in their final domestic fixture, so the visit to Lens sat at the front of a short run that had to be managed carefully.
Lens and the Title Race
Lens were not in this match to make up the numbers. They were looking to take the title race to the final day, and Enrique pointed to the difficulty they had created all season.
“You have to highlight what Lens have done all season. They have been at an incredible level. It has been very difficult for us,” he said. Even if PSG lost their final two matches and Lens won both, a 16-goal swing on goal difference would still be required, which left PSG with a strong margin as long as they handled this trip without a slip.
After Lens, PSG still had Sunday’s domestic fixture against Paris FC before the focus shifted toward the Champions League final against Arsenal in Budapest. For Enrique, the immediate job was simple: leave Lens with the result that finished the league race.
