Result: Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Lille
Date: 22 November 2019
Venue: Parc di Princes
Neymar returned to action for Paris Saint-Germain, who defeated Lille 2-0 to move 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1 standings on Friday evening.
PSG boss Thomas Tuchel made wholesale changes to the side that edged Brest away before the international break, with Neymar and Mauro Icardi both overcoming injuries to start, while goalkeeper Keylor Navas, Presnel Kimpembe, Juan Bernat and Marquinhos all returned.
Lille gave the hosts scares with early chances that they could not put away and they were made to rue those misses in the 17th minute as Icardi sent the Parisians ahead with a simple tap-in after a cut-back from Idrissa Gueye.
PSG doubled their lead around the half-hour mark thanks to a delightful chip by Angel Di Maria over goalkeeper Mike Maignan, after he was sent clear on goal by Julian Draxler's defence splitting pass.
Tuchel's army were comfortable in the closing phase of the first stanza, allowing Lille to have a spell of possession but they could not create clear chances with PSG guarding their goals in numbers.
The hosts were threatening to kill of the match in the early exchanges of the second stanza by getting the third goal but were constantly denied by Maignan, before Tuchel brought on speedy forward Kylian Mbappe of Neymar after the hour mark.
Lille got out of their shell in the last quarter of an hour, with substitute Yusuf Yazici giving them attacking impetus with his energy and threatening strikes but Navas was uncompromising.
Late substitute Edinson Cavani had a glorious chance to bag a third goal for PSG in stoppage time after Di Maria sent him through on goal but his attempted chip sailed over the crossbar as the encounter finished 2-0 in the French capital.
