Paris Saint-Germain easily defeated Metz 3-0 on Saturday evening at Parc des Princes, capitalizing on Lens's loss to Monaco to reclaim the Ligue 1 lead with 54 points, two ahead of their rival. Désiré Doué opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, followed by goals from Bradley Barcola and Gonçalo Ramos. This match, sandwiched between two Champions League games against Monaco, saw PSG implement significant rotation.
Paris Saint-Germain dominated Metz 3-0 in the 23rd matchday of Ligue 1 on February 21, 2026, at Parc des Princes. This victory, paired with Lens's 2-3 defeat to Monaco earlier in the day, allows the Parisians to reclaim the top spot with 54 points, two units ahead of the Sang et Or from Pas-de-Calais.
Désiré Doué, who scored a brace on Tuesday in the Champions League against Monaco (3-2 win), struck again for PSG in the 3rd minute on a pass from Warren Zaïre-Emery. It marks his third goal in four days. However, he was substituted at halftime by Ibrahim Mbaye, appearing injured, amid Ousmane Dembélé's absence due to injury.
Bradley Barcola doubled the lead just before the break (45th + 3), benefiting from a lucky deflection on a corner. In the second half, Gonçalo Ramos sealed the win with a powerful left-footed shot in the 77th minute, following a recovery by Lucas Hernandez. Under Luis Enrique, PSG implemented significant rotation, giving a first start to 18-year-old Dro Fernandez, signed from FC Barcelona in January.
For Metz, the bottom of the table with 13 points and relegation-bound, the defense was leaky, particularly with errors from goalkeeper Jonathan Fischer and full-back Koffi Kouao. The Grenats remain on 16 losses against PSG in Ligue 1. The match lacked rhythm, with the Parisians managing their effort ahead of the Champions League return leg against Monaco on Wednesday.
Before kickoff, PSG paid tribute to club legend Nambatingue Toko, who passed away on February 10 at age 73, with a minute of applause. Four club figures, including Jean-Claude Lemoult and Bernard Lama, were on the pitch.
In other matches, Toulouse and Paris FC drew 1-1, a result unfavorable for both teams in their respective pursuits of European spots and survival.
