PARIS: World Cup foes Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe inspired Paris St Germain to a 3-0 win at bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille on Sunday to extend their Ligue 1 lead to eight points.

Mbappe, who bagged a double, was set up by Messi for both his goals at the Velodrome, and repaid the favour by laying on another for the Argentine forward as PSG, who were without the injured Neymar, moved to 60 points from 25 games with second-placed Marseille on 52.

France forward Mbappe, who was on the losing side against Messi’s Argentina in the World Cup final, became PSG’s joint record scorer with 200 goals — level with Edinson Cavani — while Messi netted his 700th in club football.

It was a result and a performance that will erase many of the doubts about a team that had been in stuttering form in recent weeks as they outclassed their most credible domestic challengers.

“We were aggressive, we put intensity into the game, that’s what we’d been missing,” said PSG centre back Sergio Ramos.

PSG, who were knocked out of the French Cup in the last 16 by Marseille earlier this month, suffered an early injury blow when Presnel Kimpembe, who missed the World Cup for France with an Achilles issue, left the pitch on a stretcher, two weeks after making his comeback from a three-month layoff.

The Qatar-owned club overcame that setback to take the lead in the 25th minute. Mbappe darted infield from the left and broke away from the unaware Eric Bailly to latch onto a Messi pass before running through to score.

Four minutes later it was 2-0 as Mbappe combined with Nuno Mendes down the left before playing a glorious ball through the legs of Bailly for Messi to finish from close in.

The third goal arrived 10 minutes into the second half as Messi’s flighted assist was met first-time on the volley by Mbappe and his shot found the far corner of the net.

Third-placed Monaco slumped to a 3-0 home defeat against Nice, who prevailed thanks to a Terem Moffi double and a superb half-volley by Khephren Thuram.

The result left Monaco on 50 points, ahead of fourth-placed RC Lens on goals scored after the northerners drew 1-1 at Montpellier on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Jeremy Doku’s goal gave Rennes a 1-0 win away to near neighbours Nantes to move back above Lille into fifth.

Reims, coached by Belgian-born Englishman Will Still,are now unb­eaten in 17 league games after beating Toulouse 3-0.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2023