Mueez Ajao
– Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi scored first-half goals as Paris St Germain beat 10-man Lens 3-1 at the Parc des Princes on Saturday to charge nine points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
– Lens, still second but with their challenge badly dented, had Salis Abdul Samed shown a straight red card in the 19th minute for a tackle that missed the ball but caught Achraf Hakimi on the ankle.
– PSG’s response was swift, the champions seizing the advantage to smash in three goals in a nine-minute spree.
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– France striker Mbappe made the breakthrough in the 31st minute when he swivelled and hit a pass from Vitinha in off the post.
– The goal made him PSG’s all-time record league scorer, taking his tally to 139 and one more than Edinson Cavani managed.
– Vitinha made it 2-0 six minutes later with a long-range screamer that left Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba with no time to react.
– Messi then got in on the act in the 40th minute after Mbappe backheeled the Argentine through to fire in at a tight angle and put PSG 3-0 up at the break.
– Lens hit back in the second half with a consolation goal from the penalty spot on the hour, Polish winger Przemyslaw Frankowski calmly stepping up to send Gianluigi Donnarumma the wrong way.
🤴 𝗔𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗘🤴@PSG_English with the critical win to stay #Ligue1UberEats leaders#PSGRCL pic.twitter.com/ltPAvO5pfs
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 15, 2023
