On Sunday, Kylian Mbappe scored twice and assisted three times as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Lorient 5-1 to preserve its 12-point lead over Marseille and edge closer to a record 10th French league title.
There are eight rounds remaining.
Mbappe electrified the final third with a dribbling move and low shot that goalkeeper Matthieu Dreyer palmed away in the fourth minute. Soon later, the France striker fed Neymar, who scored the game’s first goal.
Mbappe increased the advantage in the 28th minute, faking a curler into the far corner before hammering into the near corner.
PSG fans blasted their team’s break in focus when Lorient striker Terem Moffi trimmed the advantage in the 56th minute by pouncing on a clumsy back pass from Achraf Hakimi to punch the ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Mbappe ended Lorient’s comeback aspirations by increasing his league record to 17 goals in the 67th minute, gliding past Julien Laporte and burying the ball into the bottom corner.
Six minutes later, Mbappe squared the ball back for Lionel Messi, who scored 4-1 with a drive under the crossbar. Mbappe set up Neymar for the game-winning goal in the 90th minute, giving him a league-high 13th assist.
“We must reclaim that tenth league title for the fans and the club.” “It’s crucial,” Mbappe remarked. “We have a chance to make history.”
This season, PSG has depended significantly on Mbappe’s skill. However, his contract expires this summer, and Mbappe has yet to commit to a club.
“I haven’t made any decision yet,” Mbappe said. “I’m still thinking because there are new factors (…) I don’t want to get it wrong. I want to make the right choice.”
Marseille secured second place with a 4-2 victory against relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne in a game packed of gaffes.
Denis Bouanga, a Gabonese striker, took Saint-Etienne the lead in the ninth minute by blasting past goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who made an embarrassing handling error.
Saint-Etienne, on the other hand, self-destructed by giving up two penalties and scoring their own goal.
Marseille’s third consecutive league victory extended their lead over third-placed Rennes, while Saint-Etienne remained in the relegation zone, one point from safety.
The top two clubs go to the Champions League, while the third-placed club must compete in qualification.
Strasbourg emerged as a surprise contender in the fight for European places, edging Lens 1-0 to go up to the fourth position.
Strasbourg extended its undefeated streak to eight games, tying it with Nice and behind Rennes by two points. In the previous 20 seasons, the team’s highest finish was 10th in 2020.
“The ambition is to do as best as we can until the end of the season,” Strasbourg coach Julien Stephan said. “We’ve never put pressure on ourselves. I don’t see why we should put more pressure on ourselves today. We just want to have fun.”
Wissam Ben Yedder of France upped his league-leading goal total to 18 as Monaco defeated Metz 2-1.
Tete, a Brazilian winger making his French league debut, kept Lyon’s slender European aspirations alive with a 3-2 victory against Anger. Despite two goals from striker Moussa Dembele, Lyon wasted a two-goal advantage twice.
Nantes defeated Clermont for the fourth match in a row, Brest defeated mid-table Montpellier 2-1, and Troyes overcame Reims 1-0 in injury time to climb out of the relegation zone.
