Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
Sport

Marseille's win forces PSG to wait for record-equalling 10th Ligue 1 coronation

Kylian Mbappé scored his 22nd goal of the season in Paris Saint-Germain's 3-0 victory at Angers. His side need one point from their remaining five games to lift an eighth Ligue 1 title in 10 years. REUTERS - SARAH MEYSSONNIER

Victories for Ligue 1 pacesetters Paris Saint-Germain and second-plaed Marseille on Wednesday night extended the French top flight title race at least until the weekend.

PSG cruised past Angers 3-0 at the Stade Raymond Kopa.

Marseille, the only team able to overtake Mauricio Pochettino's side, appeared to be faltering as they twice went behind to Nantes at the Vélodrome.

But Amine Harit's strike in the 75th minute turned the tide for hosts who won 3-2 to remain 15 points behind PSG with five games remaining.

Kylian Mbappé launched PSG's 24th victory of the campaign in the 28th minute.

The France international slotted home after a slick one-two with Achraf Hakimi. It was the 23-year-old's 22nd goal in 30 Ligue 1 matches this season.

Decisive

And Sergio Ramos added the second in the dying seconds of the first half.

The former Real Madrid skipper headed Angel Di Maria's cross from the left past the Angers goalkeeper Anthony Mandrea.

Skipper Marquinhos added the third - Di Maria again the provider - after 67 minutes. It was PSG's 75th goal in 33 matches.

PSG will be crowned champions for the eighth time in a decade with a draw against Lens at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.

The likely success will take them level with record holders Saint-Etienne on 10 top flight titles.

Fight

Marseille, who have 62 points, will spend the last five games of the season fighting for second place which offers up the second automatic place for next season's Champions League.

Third place leads to the qualifying rounds of the group stages of the Champions League.

Rennes occupy that berth with 56 points following their 2-1 defeat at Strasbourg who also boast the same tally but lie fifth on goal difference behind Monaco who edged past Nice 1-0 to rise one place to fourth - the berth leading to next season's Europa League.

Nice, who had occupied fourth, dropped to sixth on 54 points.

Christophe Galtier's team was undone at the end of the first-half when Aleksandr Golovin capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to stab home post the Nice goalkeeper Walter Benitez.

Battle

In the fight to stay in the top flight, bottom club Metz drew 0-0 at Lorient.

Bordeaux, in 19th, threw away a two-goal lead to finish 2-2 with Saint-Etienne who dropped to 18th - the relegation play-off spot - following Clermont's 1-0 victory at Troyes.

The visitors had five players booked and Alidu Seidu was dismissed mid way through the second-half.

But the hosts failed to exploit their advantage.

After Troyes' Mama Balde was shown a straight red for a crude hack on Ouparine Djoco in the 85th minute, Mohamed Bayo made the breakthrough three minutes later to send his side into the haven of 17th.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.