PSG march on with 11th straight win

Published Updated
0
PARIS: Illia Zabarnyi of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates after scoring during the Ligue 1 match against Troyes at the Parc des Princes Stadium.—AFP
PARIS: Illia Zabarnyi of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates after scoring during the Ligue 1 match against Troyes at the Parc des Princes Stadium.—AFP

PARIS: Illia Zabarnyi scored the only goal of the game as a weakened Paris Saint-Germain claimed an unspectacular 1-0 win over Troyes in Ligue 1 on Saturday to make it 11 consecutive victories in all competitions.

Ukraine defender Zabarnyi headed in Senny Mayulu’s cross to break the deadlock in the 39th minute at the Parc des Princes, and that proved sufficient to beat their newly-promoted opponents who lie in the bottom three.

PSG were without a host of key players, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Maghnes Akliouche and captain Marquinhos all injured while Achraf Hakimi was rested and Joao Neves started as a substitute.

They still had enough to beat their dogged but limited opponents, with Troyes expected to struggle to secure Ligue 1 survival despite the backing of the City Football Group.

Fresh from hammering Villarreal 6-0 away in the Champions League in midweek, Luis Enrique’s PSG side have now won seven games on the bounce in Ligue 1 and are now three points clear of Paris FC at the top of the table.

Their 11-game winning streak in all competitions is their longest run of consecutive victories under Luis Enrique, who was appointed in 2023.

Zabarnyi’s goal, which followed a quickly-taken Desire Doue corner, was his second of the season and the expectation was that PSG would go on to run out emphatic winners.

However, Spain World Cup final hero Ferran Torres failed to make the most of several promising openings — he has now gone eight games without a goal after netting seven times in his first six PSG appearances.

As PSG fans let off fireworks at one point in the second half, Troyes saw Renaud Ripart put a great chance wide before Lucas Maronnier had a late effort disallowed for offside.

PSG are next in action after the international break away to Nice in a fortnight, before the reigning European champions host Roma in the Champions League.

Earlier on Saturday, Paris FC won 1-0 away to Auxerre thanks to a second-half goal by Lassine Sinayoko. Liam Rosenior’s Paris FC are second, three points behind PSG.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2026

Opinion

Editorial

Antalya agenda
09 Nov, 2026

Antalya agenda

WHEN COP31 opens in Antalya today, governments will have to show that years of climate negotiations have produced...
Beyond viewership
09 Nov, 2026

Beyond viewership

PAKISTAN has an enormous appetite for online content. According to the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, it...
Rabid Modi
09 Nov, 2026

Rabid Modi

IN Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s India, minorities are cast as either infiltrators or in-house enemies. In Kolkata,...
Trump’s choice
Updated 08 Nov, 2026

Trump’s choice

In order to prevent a new military and economic crisis, the US leadership must prioritise diplomacy over war.
Bilawal’s advice
08 Nov, 2026

Bilawal’s advice

PPP CHAIRPERSON Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari has given sound advice to the government to stop “fighting everyone”. And...
Cashless ambition
08 Nov, 2026

Cashless ambition

THE prime minister’s call for a time-bound roadmap to make all payments digital has given the government’s...