Kylian Mbappe, who couldn't be stopped, scored three goals as Paris Saint-Germain easily won 6-2 against Montpellier on Sunday, giving them a big 12-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.
Vitinha gave PSG the lead at the Stade de la Mosson and Mbappe increased their advantage in the first half, but Nordin and Savanier scored for Montpellier to level the game at half-time.
However, an amazing goal by Mbappe quickly put PSG back in the lead after the break, and Lee Kang-in made it 4-2 before the France captain completed his hat-trick.
Nuno Mendes sealed the victory late on, ending a streak of three draws in Ligue 1 and extending an unbeaten domestic record since September for Luis Enrique’s team.
Nearest challengers Brest drew 1-1 against Lille earlier on Sunday, making the Parisians 12 points ahead at the top of Ligue 1 with only eight games left, making their 10th title in 12 seasons almost certain.
Mbappe played the entire 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 game for the first time since stating in mid-February that he planned to leave PSG when his contract expires at the end of the season.
His third hat-trick of the season took him to 24 goals in Ligue 1 this season, and 38 in all competitions.
Vitinha, a midfielder from Portugal, opened the scoring in the 14th minute by receiving a pass from Mbappe 25 meters from goal and curling a low shot into the bottom-right corner.
Mbappe then made it 2-0 on the counterattack by passing to Randal Kolo Muani and then quickly getting the ball back to score into the far corner from a difficult angle.
Montpellier scored when Danilo Pereira helped on a cross from the left and Nordin, a childhood friend of Mbappe’s from Clairefontaine, France’s national youth academy, headed in at the back post.
The home team earned a penalty just before half-time when Tanguy Coulibaly took advantage of Pereira’s short back-pass and was struck by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Teji Savanier scored the penalty, but PSG quickly went ahead again five minutes after the restart as Mbappe scored with an impressive shot from long range, hitting the underside of the crossbar.
Lee made it 4-2 in the 53rd minute, playing a one-two with Kolo Muani and shooting from outside the area with his left foot.
Mbappe then completed his hat-trick with a right-foot finish after receiving a ball over the top, before Montpellier had a second penalty overturned after a VAR review.
Warren Zaire-Emery hit the post for the visitors, and Mendes made it 6-2 a minute from time, bursting into the box to receive a pass from Vitinha and score.
AFP
