Le Havre 1-4 Paris-Saint-Germain: Les Parisiens start title defence emphatic late win

French champions Paris Saint-Germain won 4-1 at Le Havre on Friday, capitalising on a late collapse by the hosts to get their Ligue 1 season off to an excellent start.

PSG opened the scoring after three minutes when Goncalo Ramos found Lee Kang-in inside the box and he sent a left-foot shot into the net.

The visitors’ joy was short-lived, however, as Ramos was hurt in a challenge and the Portuguese international had to be replaced by Randal Kolo Muani, who rattled the crossbar shortly after entering the fray.

The hosts, who had a goal chalked off in the first half for offside, shocked PSG after the break as Gautier Lloris in the 48th minute, before Josue Casimir’s goal was disallowed following a VAR decision for handball in the build-up.

Lee was then inches away from a second as he struck the woodwork, but five minutes before the end, the Le Havre defence went missing as three PSG substitutes ran riot.

Ousmane Dembele headed home in the 85th minute before Bradley Barcola added a third as he cut inside from the right less than two minutes later.

Kolo Muani then completed the rout from the penalty spot after he was brought down by Lloris’ late tackle in the box

Our Parisians win to start the league! #HACPSG (1-4) pic.twitter.com/IK6CF23HFZ

— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) August 16, 2024

Data Debrief: PSG leave it late

While it was three late goals that wrapped up the three points, Lee actually scored the earliest first goal of a Ligue 1 season (after two minutes and four seconds) since the one scored by Mamadou Niang for Marseille in August 2009 against Grenoble (1:42).

PSG are the first team to score at least three goals from the 85th minute in the same Ligue 1 game since Monaco in November 2016 against Nancy (also three).

Luis Enrique’s side are now unbeaten in their last 25 Ligue 1 away games (winning 20, drawing five), extending the longest such run in their history.