Ousmane Dembele’s brace helped Paris Saint-Germain move four points clear at the top of Ligue 1 in a 3-1 victory over Toulouse, securing a fifth win from their previous six games across all competitions.
With a UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-final against Liverpool on the horizon, Luis Enrique opted to start the likes of Marquinhos, Vitinha and Nuno Mendes on the bench for the visit of a Toulouse side languishing safely in mid-table.
There were still some big hitters on show, though, as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s curling long-range effort was pushed to safety by Guillaume Restes in the opening exchanges, but it was Dembele who broke the deadlock.
Mark McKenzie could only clear Achraf Hakimi’s cross into the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner’s path, and he unleashed a stunning first-time left-footed volley past Restes.
The hosts would have been expected to motor on from that point, but Les Violets restored parity just four minutes later thanks to Rasmus Nicolaisen.
It was a horrible moment for stand-in PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, who completely misjudged Cristian Casseres’ corner and allowed the Dane to convert a fine header into the top corner.
This absorbing first half would take another twist, though, when Dembele scored his 10th Ligue 1 goal of the season with a close-range finish after Kvaratskhelia flicked on Lee Kang-In's corner.
PSG were showing little urgency in pursuit of a third after half-time, but Dembele was denied a hat-trick by the linesman’s flag when he tapped the ball in at the far post.
Enrique’s men gradually increased their intensity, as substitute Joao Neves fired wide following a well-worked move involving Desire Doue and Kvaratskhelia.
Willian Pacho and Illia Zabarnyi were then denied at point-blank range by Restes, before Kvaratskhelia looked to take matters into his own hands with a speculative strike which grazed the roof of the net. In contrast, chances were few and far between for Toulouse, but another error from Safonov allowed Aron Dønnum to take aim with an effort that sailed harmlessly wide.
There was still time for the Parisians to add a third in stoppage time when Goncalo Ramos opened up his body and swept in a fine right-footed finish past Restes.
Focus now turns to their UCL defence when Arne Slot’s side visit the French capital on Wednesday, while Toulouse’s campaign seems to be petering out after missing the chance to win three consecutive Ligue 1 games in the same season for the first time since November 2024.
