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Reuters
Reuters
Sport

PSG crush Monaco 4-1 to extend Ligue 1 lead

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco vs Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - January 15, 2020 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe scores their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Paris St Germain secured a convincing 4-1 victory at Monaco in a rescheduled game to open an eight-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 standings on Wednesday.

Three days after the sides drew 3-3 at the Parc des Princes, Kylian Mbappe scored twice, Neymar netted a penalty and second-half substitute Pablo Sarabia was also on target for PSG, while Tiemoue Bakayoko briefly reduced the arrears for Monaco.

PSG moved to 49 points from 20 games and have clear water between themselves and second-placed Olympique de Marseille on 41.

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco vs Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - January 15, 2020 Paris St Germain's Idrissa Gueye in action with AS Monaco's Tiemoue Bakayoko REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Stade Rennais are five points further adrift in third after the Brittany side beat Nimes 1-0 away courtesy of a second-half Adrien Hunou goal on Wednesday.

Monaco are ninth on 29 points.

PSG went ahead in the 24th minute when Mbappe beat the offside trap to collect Angel Di Maria's through-ball and beat Benjamin Lecomte with a low angled shot.

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco vs Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - January 15, 2020 Paris St Germain's Angel Di Maria in action with AS Monaco's Aleksandr Golovin and Cesc Fabregas REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Keeper Keylor Navas preserved PSG's advantage with a fine save to deny Gelson Martins' half-volley four minutes later.

Neymar made it 2-0 two minutes into the second half, converting a penalty, after Layvin Kurzawa had been brought down by Kamil Glik, for his ninth goal in his last eight appearances for the capital side.

Sarabia put the result beyond doubt in the 72nd by volleying home from fellow substitute Marco Verratti's pass a minute after the pair had come off the bench.

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco vs Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - January 15, 2020 AS Monaco's Tiemoue Bakayoko scores their first goal REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

Bakayoko pulled one back for the hosts, poking the ball home from Adrien Silva's free kick in the 87th, only for Mbappe to score again one minute into stoppage time at the end of a sharp counter attack after being set up by Neymar.

Mbappe has now scored 13 goals in 14 games, one fewer than Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder, the league's top scorer.

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco vs Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - January 15, 2020 Paris St Germain's Pablo Sarabia celebrates scoring their third goal with teammates REUTERS/Eric Gaillard

(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - AS Monaco vs Paris St Germain - Stade Louis II, Monaco - January 15, 2020 AS Monaco's Benjamin Henrichs in action with Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe REUTERS/Eric Gaillard
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