PSG beat Lyon 2-0 as substitutes Senny Mayulu and Mika Godts send Paris top of Ligue 1

Final: PSG 2, Lyon 0. Paris Saint-Germain needed its bench to break down a stubborn Lyon side on Monday, Oct. 26. Substitutes Senny Mayulu and Mika Godts scored in the final 18 minutes at Parc des Princes, and the 2-0 win moved PSG to the top of Ligue 1.

The match had originally been scheduled for Sunday. ESPN reported that police ordered a 24-hour postponement as the French capital braced for more violent protests and disorder. It was played while the Ballon d’Or ceremony was taking place in London, where Reuters said PSG had a record 10 players nominated for awards.

PSG vs. Lyon: how the goals came

The first half finished 0-0, with Lyon defending deep and goalkeeper Dominik Greif making several key stops. Coach Luis Enrique turned to his bench after about 65 minutes. According to ESPN, Mayulu replaced Ferran Torres and Lucas Hernández came on for Warren Zaïre-Emery, with Godts also introduced.

The changes paid off quickly:

• 72nd minute, Mayulu (1-0): Hernández broke down the left and laid the ball off to Godts, who found Mayulu at the edge of the box. The 20-year-old took a touch and drilled a low shot inside the near post. Reuters said it was his first goal since April. Flashscore called it his first of the season.
• 84th minute, Godts (2-0): On another quick counterattack, Godts ran onto a long ball, which Flashscore credited to Quentin Ndjantou, cut inside a defender and curled a shot past Greif from the edge of the area. Reuters said it was his first goal for PSG since joining from Ajax this season.

Key moments

PSG started fast. Greif made a reflex save with his foot to keep out Torres’ low strike early on, and Désiré Doué and Fabián Ruiz both went close in the opening 10 minutes, according to Flashscore.

Lyon had its own chances. PSG goalkeeper Matvey Safonov tipped Julien Duranville’s close-range effort over the bar just after the half-hour mark and pushed away a curling shot from Zachary Athekame. Early in the second half, Safonov also made a strong reaction save on a Moussa Niakhate header from a corner.

At the other end, Greif kept out an angled drive from Maghnes Akliouche before halftime. After the break, João Neves sent a bicycle kick over the bar and Vitinha had a rising shot saved. Flashscore named Vitinha its man of the match.

Ligue 1 standings after PSG vs. Lyon

Reuters reported the top of the table this way after Monday’s match:

Lyon could have gone top with a win, ESPN noted. Instead, Paulo Fonseca’s side lost a third straight away game for the first time since May 2025, according to Flashscore.

PSG has now won eight straight games in all competitions, Reuters said. ESPN reported it was their fifth straight league win.

A tribute to Kvaratskhelia

Before kickoff, PSG supporters unfurled a large banner in the Auteuil stand in support of winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. ESPN said it read “Kvara, the red and blue people are with you.” Reuters reported that Kvaratskhelia is having surgery in Qatar for a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his knee, and ESPN said he faces a long layoff. The injury came in PSG’s 4-2 Champions League win over Barcelona last week.

PSG played without several key players, and Flashscore described the hosts as “injury-ravaged.” The win was a test of the club’s depth.

A busy night for PSG in London too

While the team played in Paris, PSG was honored at the Ballon d’Or gala. ESPN reported that Luis Enrique lost Coach of the Year to Spain’s Luis de la Fuente, but PSG was named men’s Club of the Year later in the ceremony.

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