PARIS: Paris St-Germain coach Luis Enrique said his side had to `fight` to open up a six-point gap over second-placed AS Monaco in Ligue 1 with a 1-0 home win over RC Lens on Saturday.

A single Ousmane Dembele goal was enough for PSG to take full advantage of title rivals Monaco`s latest stutter after the principality side lost at home to lowly Angers on Friday.

Lens defender Abdukodir Khusanov received a red card on the hour mark but the visitors managed not to concede again.

Luis Enrique`s side sit top of the table on 26 points, six ahead of Monaco with third-place Lille a further two points adrift.

`They did not allow us to play at our usual tempo,` said PSG coach Luis Enrique. `But we managed to create a lot of chances from the beginning, and we deserved to score more goals. I think it is a fair win it was a hard one, but a fair result. Three more points in the bag.

For Will Still`s Lens, they remain just outside the European spots in seventh place with 14 points.

The champions swept into the lead on four minutes as Dembele tucked home a cross following good wing play by Bradley Barcola, bringing up his fifth league goal of the season.

Lens were dealt blow as they were reduced to 10 men as a VAR review adjudged Khusanov`s tackle to have been high.

Only a fine fingertip save from Samba against Barcola in the 73rd minute kept the visitors` chances alive.

PSG`s level then dropped as the second half progressed but already a goal and a man to the good, they were able to hold Lens at arm`s length and close out the three points.

Later on Saturday, Nice moved up to fifth with a 1-0 win at Champions League new boys Brest while Saint-Etienne rose out of the relegation zone thanks to a 2-0 victory over Strasbourg.-Agencies