PSG Clinches a Narrow Win to Lead Ligue 1, Hakimi MIA
23 January 2026
PSG top Ligue 1, at least for now
Paris Saint-Germain climbed to the top of the French league with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Auxerre on Friday, in the 19th round of Ligue 1.
Their only goal came from Bradley Barcola, finished from a pass by Ousmane Dembélé, in the 79th minute tonight.
With this win, PSG's tally rose to 45 points, temporarily leading the table, two points ahead of Lens in second place, which will face a tough Saturday duel in the same round against Marseille.
PSG dominated the match almost entirely, with possession over 70% for most periods, shooting 16 shots (8 of them hit the woodwork), but their stars wasted many scoring chances before Barcola clinched the hard-fought win there.
PSG faced Auxerre without several stars, including Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, who continues his recovery after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations 2025, where Senegal defeated the Atlas Lions 1-0, and the result keeps PSG ahead of Lens at the summit.
Punchline: Even Hakimi's absence couldn’t mute PSG’s hunger for the top; spookily effective.
Punchline: Next week, the only thing louder than the crowd will be my alarm clock.
