Kylian Mbappe ignored any lingering fatigue to score twice in his second game in 48 hours as Paris Saint-Germain beat Nimes at 10 4-0 on Friday to regain first place in Ligue 1
The French striker hit the opening goal in the 32nd minute at Stade des Costières and scored late again as a tired Nîmes fell back after center-back Loick Landre was prematurely sacked
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Alessandro Florenzi scored PSG’s second goal in the 77th minute and Pablo Sarabia landed a fourth for the reigning champions as PSG soared above Rennes on goal difference after a fifth straight win
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« I spoke with Kylian yesterday, he told me he was feeling good and he absolutely wanted to play, » said PSG coach Thomas Tuchel
New signings Moise Kean and Rafinha made their PSG debuts with a host of players missing after the international break and just four days away from Manchester United’s visit to the Champions League
Neymar missed the trip after scoring a hat-trick for Brazil in a World Cup qualifier in Peru that didn’t end until the wee hours of Wednesday in Europe
However, Mbappe got a second start in three days after scoring the game-winning goal for France midweek in their Nations League match in Zagreb
PSG lost Leandro Paredes to injury in 10 minutes The midfielder started Argentina’s two World Cup qualifying wins against Ecuador and Bolivia last week
Landre was sent off moments later for a reckless challenge against Rafinha, raking his studs off the side of the former Barcelona player’s ribs
Ander Herrera, cleared to return after testing positive for Covid-19, drew a series of superb saves from Nîmes goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet after replacing injured Paredes
But Mbappe gave PSG the lead after being played by Rafinha, bypassing advancing Reynet before scoring his third league goal of the campaign
Everton Loanee Kean should have added a second but was denied by a Reynet alert, with Idrissa Gueye and Florenzi also testing the Nîmes goalkeeper
Florenzi hit the post twice in the second half, with a volley and a header, but the Italian defender eventually gave PSG room to breathe as he nodded in the head of Sarabia behind the goal
Mbappe quickly caught his second of the night with another non-nervous finish after Sarabia shredded a tiring defense from Nimes
The Spaniard then caught up with the hosts on a quick free kick to strike a fourth into Reynet’s legs two minutes from time
Earlier, Rennes extended their unbeaten start to Ligue 1 despite a 1-1 draw at Dijon
Martin Terrier gave Rennes the lead in the first half with a neat finish, but Guinea-Bissau international Mame Balde burst into the visiting defense to equalize in the 54th minute
Eduardo Camavinga, who became France’s youngest goalscorer since 1914 last week, entered for the last half hour against a team that had collected a lonely point in six matches
Flavien Tait dragged a shot into the ground that cut the looped crossbar as Rennes were held for the second game in a row
Lille or Lens could overtake PSG and Rennes with a victory in the Derby du Nord on Sunday, the first of its kind in more than five years
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World news – GB – Ligue 1: PSG go to the top after Kylian Mbappe prepares for a landslide victory against Nîmes at ten
