Barcola nets twice as PSG beat Lens 2-0 to top Ligue 1

Bradley Barcola scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Lens 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on Sunday, extending their perfect start to the Ligue 1 season and returning to the top of the table. The 21 year old struck in the 15th and 51st minutes, both times assisted by Vitinha, to secure PSG a fourth straight league victory and put them on 12 points.

Barcola opened the scoring with a curling effort from about 20 yards that beat Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser. He doubled the lead early in the second half with a low drive after weaving past several defenders, leaving Lens with little time to mount a comeback. Home goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier recovered from an early error to make a number of important saves that helped preserve the clean sheet.

The on-field celebrations were tempered by an injury cloud that emerged during the game. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia limped off around the half hour mark with a calf problem after a collision, while Lee Kangin and defender Lucas Beraldo were also forced from the field later in the contest. Manager Luis Enrique, who observed the first half from the stands while recovering from a fractured collarbone, voiced concern about the trio in postmatch comments,...