Substitutes Mayulu and Godts sink Lyon 2-0 as PSG top Ligue 1 for first time this season

Paris Saint-Germain beat Lyon 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on Monday night and are top of Ligue 1 for the first time this season. Both goals came from the bench: Senny Mayulu broke the deadlock in the 72nd minute and Mika Godts doubled the lead in the 84th, each set up by another substitute.

A goalless hour

The matchday 8 fixture had been pushed back from Sunday at the request of the Paris police prefecture because of protests planned in the capital. With PSG attackers Khvicha Kvaratskhelia out after rupturing a cruciate ligament and Ousmane Dembélé also injured, PSG coach Luis Enrique started Maghnes Akliouche on the right, Désiré Doué on the left and Ferran Torres through the middle.

PSG had most of the ball but little end product. Paulo Fonseca's Lyon used Ernest Nuamah's pace on the break, and PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov had to stop efforts from Julien Duranville and Zachary Athekame. It was 0-0 at half-time. After the break PSG's João Neves sent an overhead kick wide and Lyon goalkeeper Dominik Greif denied Torres.

The bench decides it

Godts came on in the 57th minute and Mayulu in the 65th. Seven minutes after his introduction, Mayulu struck from the edge of the box from Godts' pass. Godts, a Belgian winger signed from Ajax in the summer, then finished a counter-attack with his right foot, set up by Quentin Ndjantou, who had been on the pitch for three minutes. It was Godts' first goal for the club, on a night when he also cleared a Lyon effort off his own line.

"It's good to have scored and helped the team," Godts said afterwards. Luis Enrique praised the depth of his squad: "I'm very happy with what I saw, with the team's ability to play in different scenarios." He also paid tribute to his opposite number: "Paulo Fonseca is a top coach, he always causes us problems."

Ballon d'Or night in London

The win came on the same evening as the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London, where PSG were named men's Club of the Season for the second year running. Ten PSG players were among the 30 nominees, the best-placed being Kvaratskhelia (6th), Dembélé (7th) and Fabián Ruiz (10th), though none made the top five. Six of Monday's starters were on that list: Ruiz, Achraf Hakimi (13th), Vitinha (14th), Torres (16th), Neves (19th) and Willian Pacho (20th). Warren Zaïre-Emery, also in the starting XI, finished third in the Kopa Trophy for young players, and Safonov fourth in the Yachine Trophy for goalkeepers.

A crowded top six

PSG have 17 points from eight games, one more than Rennes (16). Lille and Monaco have 15, and Lyon and Paris FC 14, so three points separate first from sixth. Lyon, who started the night level on points with PSG, drop to fifth. PSG travel to bottom club Le Havre, still without a win and on 2 points, on Friday; Lyon host Angers on Saturday.