{"id":38138,"date":"2023-12-21T15:39:06","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T15:39:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/psg-end-year-on-top-of-ligue-1-the-express-tribune\/"},"modified":"2023-12-21T15:39:06","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T15:39:06","slug":"psg-end-year-on-top-of-ligue-1-the-express-tribune","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/psg-end-year-on-top-of-ligue-1-the-express-tribune\/","title":{"rendered":"PSG end year on top of Ligue 1 | The Express Tribune"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\nPARIS:
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

Kylian Mbappe marked his 25th birthday with a brace as Paris Saint-Germain<\/a> beat Metz 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Wednesday to reach the halfway stage of the season five points clear at the top of the table.<\/p>\n

PSG, who had been held 1-1 at Lille at the weekend, laboured in the first half before Vitinha opened the scoring early in the second half by turning in a cross from Lee Kang-in.<\/p>\n

Mbappe then took centre stage by making it 2-0 with a superb strike in off the underside of the crossbar from the edge of the area.<\/p>\n

Matthieu Udol pulled one back for the struggling visitors but Mbappe<\/a> pounced on a short backpass to round the goalkeeper and make it 3-1 towards the end for his 18th league goal of the campaign.<\/p>\n

His birthday was made even more memorable when his 16-year-old brother Ethan came on for his senior debut in stoppage time.<\/p>\n

PSG end the year with a comfortable five-point cushion over nearest challengers Nice, who defeated Lens 2-0 on Wednesday thanks to two late goals from Nigerian striker Terem Moffi.<\/p>\n

Monaco are seven points behind the leaders in third place after coming from behind to win 2-1 at Toulouse, with Wissam Ben Yedder scoring both of their goals.<\/p>\n

The principality side held on to take all three points despite having Aleksandr Golovin sent off early in the second half.<\/p>\n

Malian international Kamory Doumbia produced the individual performance of the evening by scoring four goals, all in the first half, as Brest beat Brittany rivals Lorient 4-0.<\/p>\n

That result lifted Brest up into fourth, a Champions League qualifying berth, above a Lille side who were beaten 2-1 away at Patrick Vieira’s Strasbourg.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Montpellier had a point deducted following an incident in their home match against Clermont earlier this season, when the away side’s goalkeeper was hit by a firecracker thrown from the same stand.<\/p>\n

“These guys are idiots, it’s incredible,” complained Montpellier coach Michel Der Zakarian on Wednesday.<\/p>\n

“I don’t understand it. You are supposed to come to the stadium to support your team, not to set off fireworks.”<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Lyon climbed out of the bottom three as they beat Nantes 1-0 thanks to an Alexandre Lacazette goal.<\/p>\n

It was a third consecutive victory for a team who had previously won just once all season, and the result lifted them two points above Toulouse, who now occupy the relegation play-off position.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n