Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi starred in the absence of Neymar, leading Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-0 win over Ligue 1 rivals Marseille.
PSG broke the deadlock after 25 minutes, as Mbappe ran in behind and met Lionel Messi's pass with a driven finish. He returned the favour 10 minutes later, threading a cross through a defender's legs for an easy tap in for Messi.
The duo only continued to dazzle, with Messi finding Mbappe again with a delicate chip — which the French international swept into the bottom corner on the volley.
Marseille had their moments, but PSG defended dutifully and kept a valuable clean sheet, while extending their Ligue 1 lead to eight points.
GOAL rates PSG's players from Stade Velodrome…
GettyGoalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma (7/10):
Made a couple of neat saves, kept a clean sheet. A good day.
Nordi Mukiele (7/10):
The more conservative of the wing-backs. Didn't do much wrong defensively.
Sergio Ramos (7/10):
Dominant in the air and tidy on the ball. Not the centre-back he once was, but Ramos can still perform at this level.
Marquinhos (8/10):
Threw himself in front of shots, made some key blocks. Crucial in keeping a clean sheet as the game wound down.
Presnel Kimpembe (5/10):
Substituted early after sustaining another leg injury. It's been a spell of rotten luck for the France international.
Nuno Mendes (7/10)
Recovered well to prevent Tavares from scoring. Made some excellent forward runs.
AdvertisementMidfield
Vitinha (7/10):
Better defensively, and more convincing driving forward. Only lost the ball once, which was crucial against an aggressive Marseille midfield.
Marco Verratti (8/10):
Active off the ball, reliable on it. Makes this team so much better.
Fabian Ruiz (7/10):
Made the most tackles in the match, got forward often, and found Messi and Mbappe with regularity.
GettyAttack
Lionel Messi (9/10):
Assisted the first and third, scored the second. Still massive in big moments. Scored his 700th club goal. The best ever.
Kylian Mbappe (9/10):
Scored the opener with a lovely diagonal run and finish. Assisted the second with a nutmeg pass. Buried the third with a controlled volley. Now PSG's joint all-time top scorer with 200 goals. Magic.
GettySubs & Manager
Danilo Pereira (6/10):
Brought on early to replace the injured Kimpembe and slotted into the right side of a back three. At times uncomfortable, but positionally solid.
Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):
Entrusted with a shift at right-wing-back and did well.
Juan Bernat (6/10):
Extra legs for a tiring Nuno Mendes.
Christophe Galtier (8/10):
Started with his preferred three centre-back formation. Got his midfield configuration right, and let his stars do their thing. Eight points clear atop Ligue 1 after a rocky spell.