Doué Nets Double as PSG Thrash St Etienne 6-0 in Pursuit of Ligue 1 Glory

Paris Saint-Germain are on the verge of clinching their 10th Ligue 1 title in the past 12 seasons, having staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Saint-Étienne 6-1. This impressive victory has allowed Les Parisiens to equal AC Milan’s record of 38 consecutive unbeaten away matches in Europe’s top five leagues.

Despite facing a hostile environment with away supporters barred from attending, PSG seemed to struggle early on as the home side asserted their dominance in the initial minutes.

After relentless pressure, the breakthrough arrived from an unexpected source among the two Georgian wingers on the pitch.

Zuriko Davitashvili consistently troubled Warren Zaire-Emery from the outset, delivering a cross to an unmarked Lucas Stassin, who headed home to give the hosts the lead after just nine minutes.

The reigning champions started to find their rhythm following this set-back, yet Gautier Larsonneur remained untested as Fabian Ruiz’s shot went wide of target.

Saint-Étienne came close to punishing Goncalo Ramos after Leo Petrot failed to clear, but ultimately, they couldn’t hold onto their lead until half-time.

Florian Tardieu caught Ramos with a boot in the penalty area, and the Portuguese player picked himself up to slot the ensuing penalty into the top corner.

A crucial one-on-one save by Matvey Safonov denied Stassin just before the break, which proved essential as PSG unleashed a furious assault in the second half.

First, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia capitalised on a mistake by Mickael Nade, cutting inside from the right before finding the near post.

Bradley Barcola struck the post shortly afterwards, but only moments later, Irvin Cardona gave possession away to Desire Doue, who finished neatly inside Larsonneur’s near post for his side’s second goal.

After a lacklustre performance in the first half, Saint-Étienne opened themselves up, allowing Barcola to venture down the left flank and pull the ball back, where Joao Neves appeared to tap in.

On 67 minutes, Doue scored again, manoeuvring past several half-hearted challenges before smashing the ball into the top corner. PSG further boosted their hopes as Presnel Kimpembe made his first league appearance since February 2023.

There was one last goal for the visitors as Mendes threaded the ball through to Barcola, who squared it for 17-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye to notch his first senior goal.

With Marseille suffering defeat earlier in the day, a draw between Nice and Monaco would see Les Parisiens secure the new-look Ligue 1 trophy, a much-needed boost as they gear up for crucial fixtures in the Coupe de France and Champions League.

As for Saint-Étienne, they may be staring down the barrel of a relegation play-off, with a ten-match winless streak all but eliminating any hope of ensuring automatic safety.