Mbappe stars on return as PSG hit top gear

Published September 21, 2020
NICE: Paris St Germain’s Angel Di Maria (R) celebrates after scoring against Nice during their Ligue 1 fixture at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday.—Reuters
NICE: Paris St Germain’s Angel Di Maria (R) celebrates after scoring against Nice during their Ligue 1 fixture at the Allianz Riviera on Sunday.—Reuters

PARIS: France forward Kylian Mbappe marked his return to action with a vintage performance and a goal as champions Paris St Germain rediscovered their form with an impressive 3-0 win at Nice in Ligue 1 on Sunday.

Mbappe fired PSG ahead with a 38th-minute penalty and had a big part in Angel Di Maria’s strike before Marquinhos headed home the third in the second half.

PSG made a sluggish start to their campaign as they lost the opening two matches and eked out a last-gasp 1-0 home win over Metz on Wednesday but they tore Nice apart with sublime skill and crisp one-touch passing.

Mbappe blasted his spot-kick into the roof of the net after he was fouled by Khephren Thuram and Nice goalkeeper Waller Benitez could only parry the forward’s crisp low shot for Di Maria to sweep home the rebound on the stroke of halftime.

Marquinhos added the third with a glancing header from a Di Maria cross.

Meanwhile, debutant Adrien Truffert came off the bench to score an injury time winner to send Rennes top of Ligue 1 with Saturday’s 2-1 win over Monaco.

Truffert, 18, claimed the winner after assisting Steven Nzonzi’s equaliser as Wissam Ben Yedder broke the deadlock in the first half.

Ben Yedder opened the scoring after 28 minutes following a defensive shambles inside the Rennes box. Sofiane Diop hit a half-volley after a Cesc Fabregas corner and Ben Yedder hit home following Steven Nzonzi’s attempted clearance.

Nzoni made up for his earlier mistake with nine minutes to play.

Truffert broke down the flank and the ex-Blackburn and Roma midfielder headed the equaliser.

Truffert had other plans, scoring the winner less than 70 seconds into injury time.

Newly-promoted Lens moved up to third with a 2-1 win over Bordeaux.

Summer arrivals Ignatius Ganogo and Chelsea academy product Gael Kakuta were on the scoresheet before Samuel Kalu’s consolation effort in injury time.

Published in Dawn, September 21st, 2020

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