Lucas Beraldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Louis Mafouta equalised for the visitors. Substitute Khvicha Kvaratskhelia restored PSG’s lead, and Maghnes Akliouche scored his first goal for the club to secure the champions’ victory.
Beraldo gives PSG the early advantage
PSG started with attacking intent but found Le Mans difficult to break down as the visitors showed confidence in possession and looked to exploit spaces on the counter-attack.
The hosts eventually went ahead through a penalty converted by Beraldo. Achraf Hakimi won the spot-kick and allowed the Brazilian defender to take responsibility from 12 yards.
Beraldo made no mistake, giving PSG the lead in a first half in which Le Mans continued to threaten despite being the underdogs.
Mafouta brings Le Mans level
Le Mans refused to retreat after the break and were rewarded when Mafouta found the net to make it 1–1.
The equaliser forced PSG manager Luis Enrique to respond. With the visitors growing in confidence, the Spanish coach introduced several key players, including Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha and Fabián Ruiz, to regain control of the midfield and increase the attacking threat.
The changes quickly made a difference as PSG began to apply greater pressure.
Kvaratskhelia restores PSG’s lead
Kvaratskhelia needed little time to make his impact felt. The Georgian winger reacted quickest to a rebound and fired home just two minutes after entering the match, restoring PSG’s advantage.
His goal shifted the momentum back towards the hosts and eased the pressure following Le Mans’ spirited response.
PSG continued to push forward, looking to put the result beyond doubt rather than risk another late setback.
Akliouche scores first PSG goal
Akliouche delivered the decisive moment by scoring PSG’s third goal, his first since joining the club from Monaco at the start of the season.
The goal confirmed the home side’s 3–1 victory after Le Mans had briefly threatened to take something from the contest.
PSG were awarded another penalty in stoppage time, but Désiré Doué’s effort was saved by Le Mans goalkeeper Nicolas Kocik.
PSG build momentum despite protest disruption
The match was also interrupted by unrest in the stands. A banner linked to student protests was displayed, and clashes broke out as police attempted to remove it. One section of the stadium was temporarily evacuated before the game continued.
On the pitch, the victory lifted PSG to fifth place with 11 points from six matches, according to Reuters. Although the champions were made to work harder than expected, their substitutes helped turn a difficult evening into another league win.
Le Mans can take encouragement from their performance and their willingness to challenge PSG, but defensive lapses after the equaliser ultimately proved costly.
Full-time: Paris Saint-Germain 3–1 Le Mans
Goals:
• PSG: Lucas Beraldo (pen), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Maghnes Akliouche
• Le Mans: Louis Mafouta