Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to thrash Le Havre 5-1 in the French Ligue 1 on Friday night, with Achraf Hakimi delivering a standout performance. The Moroccan right-back scored his first professional hat-trick and provided two assists as the defending champions recovered from an early setback at the Stade Océane. This victory strengthened PSG's position at the top of the league table. Hakimi was directly involved in all five goals, producing an extraordinary individual display that effectively decided the contest.
Le Havre took the lead in the 18th minute when Josh Maja opened the scoring, following a turnover in possession by Senny Mayulu. The hosts, who were bottom of the table with only two points, stunned the visitors with a goal that gave them hope of producing an upset. However, PSG responded with composure and attacking quality, equalizing in the 26th minute through Belgian winger Mika Godts. Godts finished into the bottom-left corner to restore parity after Hakimi controlled Lucas Hernandez's long pass and squared the ball for him.
Hakimi then put PSG ahead in the 28th minute, advancing towards goal and beating goalkeeper Arnaud Bodart at his near post. The goal was initially ruled out for offside but a VAR review overturned the decision, allowing PSG to take a 2-1 lead. This marked a remarkable turn of events for the visitors, who had been made to work for the victory by a Le Havre side desperate to halt a difficult run of results.
PSG extended their advantage in the 55th minute through another moment of individual brilliance from Hakimi. The Moroccan defender stepped forward to take a free-kick after Amir Richardson fouled Maghnes Akliouche near the edge of the penalty area. Hakimi produced a superbly measured effort, curling the ball into the bottom-right corner beyond Bodart's reach to make it 3-1.
Le Havre attempted to respond but came close to reducing the deficit only to be punished by PSG with a devastating counter-attack. In the 62nd minute, Hakimi initiated the counter-attack with a through ball that caught Bodart out of position. Senny Mayulu reached the ball ahead of the goalkeeper, touched it beyond him, and calmly rolled it into the unguarded net from distance to make it 4-1.
Hakimi completed his personal milestone in the 69th minute, scoring his third goal of the night. After Mika Godts delivered a low cross, Hakimi's initial effort was saved by Bodart, but the rebound struck the defender's right thigh and deflected into the net. This completed the first hat-trick of his professional career and capped a performance in which he contributed directly to every PSG goal.
The victory also marked a significant achievement for PSG manager Luis Enrique, who recorded his 127th victory in 188 matches as PSG manager. This made him the coach with the highest number of wins in the club's history. Enrique emphasized the importance of having a competitive squad capable of delivering results despite changes to the starting line-up, saying, "I am happy because some players had very little playing time. If we want to win trophies, we need everyone."
Key points
- Achraf Hakimi scored a hat-trick and provided two assists in PSG's 5-1 win over Le Havre.
- Luis Enrique became the most successful manager in PSG's history with 127 wins in 188 matches.
- PSG extended their winning run in all competitions to nine matches, keeping them top of the league table.
