Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 4-0 victory over Dijon on Saturday to re-establish their 13-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.
Spain midfielder Pablo Sarabia opened the scoring early in the game as he netted his ninth goal in all competitions since the start of 2020.
Mbappe added a second after the break with a composed finish before he set up substitute Mauro Icardi at the Parc des Princes.
France international Mbappe then put the gloss on the result in injury time when he tapped in his 18th league goal of the season after Julian Draxler’s initial shot had been blocked.
PSG seized an early advantage when a miscued shot from Marquinhos inadvertently found Sarabia near the penalty spot and he reacted quickly to direct it past Dijon goalkeeper Runar Alex Runarsson.
PSG were dealt a blow shortly afterwards when Angel Di Maria left the field with a slight hamstring strain and was replaced by Draxler as a precaution.
Dijon rarely threatened as Thomas Tuchel’s side kept a clean sheet having conceded nine goals in their previous three games.
The match remained in the balance as PSG were wasteful in front of goal until the floodgates opened with three goals in the final 16 minutes.
Mbappe notched PSG’s second when he raced on to Draxler’s throughball and angled in the finish.
He then turned provider moments later when PSG capitalised on a slipshod Dijon backline and played in Icardi who kept his cool and slid the ball home.
Mbappe completed the rout in injury time with the simplest of finishes past Runarsson after the ball had dropped to him following Draxler’s shot.
What does it mean? PSG move step closer to title
Second-placed Marseille’s 3-2 win at Nimes on Friday will have registered on PSG’s radar, but Tuchel’s side do not look like being knocked off their stride. PSG have a sizable cushion at the top of the table and the march to a ninth league title appears inevitable.
Majestic Mbappe magical again
Without the suspended Neymar, and with Di Maria leaving the action earlier than anticipated, the attacking baton fell to Mbappe. The 21-year-old seized it producing tricks, flicks, a double nutmeg and two goals to boot.
Careless Cavani out of character
Edinson Cavani, who scored his 200th career goal for PSG against Bordeaux last weekend, will not want to watch the highlights reel from this game. The Uruguay striker twice had his head in his hands after missing sitters from close range.
What’s next?
PSG are away to Lyon in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France on Wednesday while relegation-threatened Dijon host bottom side Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
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