Mbappé and Messi Lead PSG to Dominating 3-0 Win Over Marseille
Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi both netted two and one goals respectively, leading Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-0 triumph at Marseille, who are currently vying for the French league title.
Mbappé is the outright leader in the league’s goals with 17, and he equaled Cavani’s PSG club record of 200 goals on Sunday.
This was an opportunity for PSG to make amends for their French Cup defeat at their bitter rivals Marseille when their star player Mbappé was unavailable. Despite Neymar’s absence this time round, PSG was still able to achieve success without the Brazilian.
A victory would have put Marseille just two points behind reigning title-holders PSG. But, with only 13 matches left to play, Marseille now finds themselves eight points adrift.
Christophe Galtier, PSG coach, commended everyone for their hard work. He himself is a former Marseille player and defender, which has caused some of their fans to be baffled as to why he is now leading the Parisian team. At the conclusion of the match, Galtier had to be held back when an irate Marseille fan was taunting him near the dugout.
In December of last year, Kylian Mbappé became only the second footballer to score a hat trick in a World Cup final, though France ultimately lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout, with an incredible performance by Lionel Messi, who netted two goals in the thrilling match.
This occasion saw the two sides uniting for a common goal to soothe the Stade Velodrome’s faithful supporters, who had been buoyed by their recent cup triumph against a PSG side that had endured five losses in their preceding twelve matches.
Despite Nuno Tavares’ missed opportunity for Marseille, Messi’s efficient pass from near the midfield line was enough to send Mbappé on a sprint which ultimately resulted in a lethal finish in the 25th minute. In response to this, Marseille coach Igor Tudor remarked that the player was “from another planet.”
Four minutes later, Mbappé located an open area on the left flank and delivered a precise pass to Messi, who, only a week prior, had salvaged PSG with an injury-time free kick in a 4-3 victory against Lille, and allowed him to finish the playoff from a short distance.
Messi, who had already scored his 12th league goal, delivered a looping pass to Mbappé in the 55th minute, shortly after Alexis Sanchez had failed to convert a promising opportunity for Marseille.
On an outstanding evening overall, the only downside for PSG was the exit of center-back Presnel Kimpembe due to an injury in the 18th minute. He collapsed to the ground without any contact, staying motionless for some time, and the severity of the injury was not known right away.
Marseille’s lead over Monaco and Lens has been reduced to just two points, with both teams now on 50 points.
Had Monaco not been defeated 3-0 by their Riviera rivals Nice on Sunday, the consequences for Marseille could have been dire. Nigeria striker Terem Moffi put the ball in the back of the net twice in the opening 25 minutes, and Khéphren Thuram — the son of France great Lilian Thuram — added the third goal near the end of the first half, allowing Nice to ascend to seventh place.
OTHER MATCHES
Rennes, in fifth position, secured a 1-0 victory away to Nantes, courtesy of a strike from Belgian winger Jérémy Doku. Meanwhile, Reims earned a comfortable 3-0 victory in their mid-table clash with Toulouse.
Auxerre, who are in danger of being relegated, won 1-0 at Lorient, as Ajaccio, also in a precarious position, triumphed 2-1 at home against Troyes, who are currently bottom of the table. Additionally, Clermont and Strasbourg shared the spoils with a 1-1 draw at the former’s ground.
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