Barcola Brace Fires PSG Back to Ligue 1 Top Amid Injury Concerns

Muscat: Bradley Barcola scored a superb first-half brace to guide Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a comfortable victory over Lens, maintaining their perfect start to the French Ligue 1 season and returning to the top of the table. The win puts PSG on 12 points, two clear of second-place Lille, with Lyon set to face Rennes on Sunday a further point behind. According to Oman News Agency, the 21-year-old winger opened the scoring with a beautifully curled effort from the edge of the box, then doubled the advantage just six minutes after halftime by cutting in from the left and firing a powerful long-range finish past the goalkeeper. Despite the commanding performance, the match was marred by injury concerns for Spanish manager Luis Enrique as Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lee Kang-in, and Lucas Beraldo all were forced off. The setbacks cast a shadow over the squad's preparations for their UEFA Champions League title defense, which begins on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes against Atalanta.