Mbappe double helps PSG end year on top of Ligue 1

Published December 22, 2023
PARIS: Kylian Mbappe (R) of Paris St-Germain’s scores past Metz’s goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja during their Ligue 1 match at the Parc des Princes stadium.—AFP
PARIS: Kylian Mbappe (R) of Paris St-Germain’s scores past Metz’s goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja during their Ligue 1 match at the Parc des Princes stadium.—AFP

PARIS: Paris St-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe scored twice to help the Ligue 1 leaders beat Metz 3-1 at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday and close out the year on a high as they maintained their five-point advantage at the top of the table.

PSG, who sit top of the standings on 40 points from 17 games, are five points ahead of second-placed Nice and seven points above AS Monaco, in third.

An uneventful first half ended goalless and lacked quality chances for either side, although the Parisians avoided conceding an own goal when a header by defender Danilo Pereira bounced off the post.

Vitinha put the hosts in front early into the second half, scoring with his first touch, before Mbappe doubled the lead on the hour mark with a stunning shot from the edge of the box as the France forward celebrated his 25th birthday.

Metz captain Matthieu Udol pulled one back with a towering header following a corner, as the ball went in off the inside of the post, before Mbappe made it 3-1 profiting on a mistake from the visitors’ defence.

PSG next travel to Lens in Ligue 1 on Jan 14, after facing French Cup winners Toulouse in Trophee des Champions on Jan 3 and a cup fixture at sixth-tier side Revel four days later.

In Wednesday’s other fixtures, Nice earned a 2-0 win over seventh-placed Lens with two quickfire goals in the second half — including a penalty — from forward Terem Moffi to maintain the second spot.

Third-placed Monaco came from a goal down to seal a 2-1 win over lowly Toulouse, before they were down to 10 men six minutes into the second half when midfielder Aleksandr Golovin was sent off for a risky tackle. Wissam Ben Yedder scored both goals for Monaco.

Patrick Vieira’s Strasbourg ended Lille’s 10-match unbeaten run with a 2-1 home win, in a game where both sides scored an own goal each.

Lille slipped to fifth in the standings with 28 points. They were leapfrogged by Brest who moved up to fourth after a 4-0 trashing of lowly Lorient, with all goals scored by midfielder Kamory Doumbia inside the first half.

The 20-year-old Mali international became the second player to score four goals in the first half of a Ligue 1 match in the last 60 years, after Edinson Cavani achieved the feat in September 2016 with Paris against Caen.

Olympique de Marseille are sixth after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Montpellier, with Jordan Veretout scoring their goal in a game that was held up for five minutes in the second half after fireworks were set off at one end of the stadium.

Japanese international Keito Nakamura got the only goal as Will Still’s Reims defeated Le Havre 1-0, while Rennes struck twice late on to claim a 3-1 victory at bottom club Clermont Foot.

Meanwhile, Olympique Lyon­nais climbed out of the bottom three as they beat Nantes 1-0 tha­nks to an Alexandre Lacaz­ette goal.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2023

Opinion

Editorial

Slow start
Updated 15 Jun, 2024

Slow start

Despite high attendance, the NA managed to pass only a single money bill during this period.
Sindh lawlessness
Updated 15 Jun, 2024

Sindh lawlessness

A recently released report describes the law and order situation in Karachi as “worryingly poor”.
Punjab budget
15 Jun, 2024

Punjab budget

PUNJAB’S budget for 2024-25 provides much fodder to those who believe that the increased provincial share from the...
Budget and politics
Updated 14 Jun, 2024

Budget and politics

PML-N, scared of taking bold steps lest it loses whatever little public support it has, has left its traditional support — traders — virtually untouched.
New talks?
14 Jun, 2024

New talks?

WILL this prove another false start, or may we expect a more sincere effort this time? Reference is made to the...
A non-starter
14 Jun, 2024

A non-starter

WHILE the UN Security Council had earlier this week adopted a US-backed resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza...