Striker Folarin Balogun equalized deep into stoppage time as Reims earned a 1-1 draw at French league leader Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday, keeping PSG three points ahead of second-place Lens. Balogun, who began his career at Premier League team Arsenal and stood out throughout the game with his movement, latched onto a long pass in the sixth minute of injury time. He easily beat veteran defender Sergio Ramos for pace before confidently shooting past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was the 21-year-old forward's 11th league goal of the season and one less than PSG's scorer Neymar. Neymar struck in the 51st to move one behind league top scorer and teammate Kylian Mbappé, before PSG had midfielder Marco Verratti sent off for a dangerous tackle on Japan winger Junya Ito in the 59th. Verratti made his return from a thigh injury when he came on for the second half. Read more: Late goals help PSG beat 3rd-tier Châteauroux in French Cup Midtable Reims extended its unbeaten run to 12 games, which included holding PSG to a 0-0 draw at home in October, and was the better side in the first half. Donnarumma almost gave a goal away after 23 seconds when he hacked a back pass straight to the opposition but got away with it. Balogun went close midway through the first half and teammate Marshall Munetsi — a midfielder with Zimbabwe — also caused problems for PSG's static defense. Referee Ruddy Buquet awarded Reims a penalty shortly after Neymar's goal for a foul on Balogun but changed his mind following a video review. In the end, Balogun had his say. PSG has won only one of its last four league games, losing two, and coach Christophe Galtier acknowledged there is a problem. “We were soporific in the first half, we were quickly split in two and we were on the back foot,” he said. “We abandoned our defense.” Since the World Cup, PSG has won only two of its five league games and both have been against strugglers. PSG needed an injury-time penalty from Mbappé to beat Strasbourg 2-1, and it beat rock-bottom Angers 2-0. With a much tougher test against Bayern Munich approaching in the round of 16 of the Champions League, PSG needs to improve fast. Either side of playing Bayern on Feb. 14, PSG has two away games at bitter rival Marseille, in the French Cup and in the league. Marseille is only five points behind PSG in third spot. Earlier, striker Gaetan Laborde scored the winner as Nice beat Lille 1-0 to end the northern side's six-game unbeaten run. Laborde netted in the 34th minute after Badredine Bouanani intercepted a poor back pass and set him up for a first-time finish. Lille had not lost in the league since Oct. 30. Read more: Leader PSG loses 3-1 at Lens for 1st defeat; Monaco in 4th TEMPERS FLARE Alexandre Lacazette notched his 12th league goal of the season as Lyon won 2-0 at Corsican side Ajaccio to move into ninth place. Tempers flared after the game as Lyon coach Laurent Blanc grabbed Ajaccio coach Olivier Pantaloni's face after they had shaken hands, and shoved him away following a verbal exchange. Pantaloni, who played for Ajaccio as a striker in the 1990s, then walked over to Lyon's bench and clashed with Lyon's goalkeeper coach Rémy Vercoutre. Security officials had to separate them as angry home fans banged on the dugout. Lacazette cut short his post-game television interview when a lighter thrown from the crowd landed near him. Vercoutre had to be escorted away as fans insulted him and some tried to get on the field. The visitors took the lead in the 20th when 20-year-old midfielder Johann Lepenant turned in Bradley Barcola's pass. Lacazette, who re-joined hometown Lyon in the summer after five seasons in the Premier League with Arsenal, scored his 144th goal overall for the club in the 72nd. France's 2018 World Cup winner Corentin Tolisso and Argentina's World Cup-winning left back Nicolás Tagliafico combined to set him up. OTHER MATCHES Dutch forward Thijs Dallinga scored twice for Toulouse in a 2-1 win at struggling Strasbourg. Veteran striker Kevin Gameiro put the Alsace side ahead in the 20th, but Dallinga equalized for Toulouse five minutes later and struck again early in the second half. Strikers Jérémy Le Douaron and Steve Mounie scored first-half goals for Brest in a 4-0 home win against bottom side Angers. Midfielders Franck Honorat and Pierre Lees-Melou scored after the break. English forward Stephy Mavididi scored both goals as Montpellier got a much-needed 2-0 win at 19th-place Auxerre to move away from relegation trouble, and Clermont drew 0-0 at home to Nantes.

Grimacing in pain from his bruised cheekbone, Cristiano Ronaldo steadied himself before scoring from the penalty spot for his first goal in Saudi Arabia against a Paris Saint-Germain team featuring old foe Lionel Messi. Messi had already scored early in Thursday's exhibition game when Ronaldo was flattened boxing-match style by PSG goalkeeper Keylor Navas after about 30 minutes in Riyadh, the city which gained sporting prominence for hosting a world heavyweight championship boxing bout in 2019. It wasn't Anthony Joshua but Navas who caught Ronaldo flush in the face with his forearm under a high ball. Read more: The Best FIFA Men’s Player Award 2022 Power Ranking Both went down like felled boxers. Ronaldo held his head, got back up, did a wide yawn as if to test his sore left cheek, and sent his former Real Madrid teammate Navas the wrong way. By the end of the first half Ronaldo's cheekbone was bright apple red but he was all smiles after netting his second goal, smashing in a rebound when his header came back off the post. Poking his tongue out, Ronaldo wheeled away in delight and was mobbed by teammates at the corner flag. When PSG star Kylian Mbappé checked on the state of Ronaldo’s cheek just before the second half, Ronaldo milked the attention from France's World Cup star and pointed to the red mark. Mbappé smiled at him as if to say “You’ll be fine” and Ronaldo raised his arm in triumph like a heavyweight champion. Messi’s Qatari-backed PSG won 5-4 against a combined XI of Saudi Arabian teams Al Nassr and Al Hilal, captained by Al Nassr’s new signing Ronaldo, in front of 68,000 fans at King Fahd International Stadium. Although his team lost, Ronaldo edged perhaps the final instalment of Ronaldo vs. Messi as one of the greatest rivalries in soccer history resumed in an unusual location. Messi's shot led to a handball and PSG's fourth goal, scored by Mbappé from the penalty spot. Ronaldo came off to a huge ovation just after the hour mark followed by Mbappé and Argentina's World Cup-winning star Messi, who was warmly hugged by countryman Marcelo Gallardo, coaching the combined Saudi Arabian team. Ronaldo’s bruise darkened with the night sky as he collected his man of the match award. He was locked in conversation with ex-Madrid teammates Sergio Ramos and Navas before the medal ceremony. Then he spoke to Portugal teammates Renato Sanches and Danilo, who play for PSG. But Ronaldo was nowhere near Messi, almost like they avoided each other. They couldn't do that earlier on the field, when Ronaldo tackled Messi in the second minute. Moments later, Messi smiled as he scored from Neymar’s lofted pass. Ronaldo looked annoyed with his teammates for letting Messi ghost into space. Harsh, because few defenders have ever tracked Messi’s runs, let alone stopped them. The World Cup proved that, if it was ever in doubt. There was scant interaction between former Madrid star Ronaldo and Messi, his arch rival during Barcelona's glory days. It was Ronaldo who tentatively approached an impassive-looking Messi at the center circle seconds before the whistle blew to start perhaps their final game as opponents. There was a polite exchange, the briefest handshake. Messi stared at Ronaldo late in the first half, after PSG defender Juan Bernat had been sent off, and Ronaldo seemed to look away from Messi. It was a different mood in the tunnel beforehand, when a grinning Ronaldo hugged Ramos, who now plays alongside Messi, and joked with Ramos that he’d forgotten to remove an ear stud. The laugh was on Ramos later, when he air-kicked a loose ball on Ronaldo’s second goal. PSG's Neymar also missed, from the penalty spot. Read more: Rashford scores again as Man United beat Man City 2-1 The atmosphere built before the start as fans waved Argentina flags while others held up the yellow jersey of Al Nassr, pointing proudly to Ronaldo’s No. 7 on the back. The ticker tape poured from the stands as Ronaldo led his team out. He smiled and winked when he got a loud ovation. Ronaldo could end his storied career in Riyadh after signing a deal worth a reported $200 million a year, swapping Europe’s elite club competition for the Asian Champions League. He makes his Saudi league debut for Al Nassr on Sunday against Ettifaq, far from the fields where he shone for Manchester United and Madrid. INTENSE RIVALRY The Messi-Ronaldo rivalry has been among the greatest ever. Between them they have 12 Ballon d’Or awards — Messi a record seven, Ronaldo five — and have won a combined 56 major trophies. Ronaldo won the Champions League five times, compared to Messi’s four. Messi is the all-time “El Clasico” top scorer with 26 goals for Barca, eight more than Ronaldo for Madrid. Ronaldo won the European Championship in 2016 but Messi was brilliant in Argentina’s Copa America win in 2021 and its 2022 World Cup success. Ronaldo is the all-time leading scorer in men’s international soccer with 118 goals, while Messi’s seven at the World Cup took him to third overall with 98.

Paris Saint-Germain needed two late goals to scrape a 3-1 win at third-tier Châteauroux in the French Cup round of 64 Friday. PSG coach Christophe Galtier rested star forwards Kylian Mbappé, Neymar and Lionel Messi yet still started with seven international players against a side sitting in a lowly 14th place in the third division. PSG have won the cup a record 14 times but were knocked out in the round of 16 last season. With no extra time in the early rounds, Châteauroux were getting on top of the game and a penalty shootout loomed. But PSG midfielder Carlos Soler pounced from close range in the 78th minute and left-back Juan Bernat ensured victory with a neat finish in stoppage time. Also Read: Man United beats Everton 3-1 to advance in FA Cup Galtier hinted at some complacency within his team. "Imagine if we hadn't qualified. At one stage our team was split in half and that gave them confidence," Galtier said. "Did we think things would be easy once we took the lead? Perhaps." Galtier picked three teenagers: 16-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery started in midfield alongside 18-year-old Ismaël Gharbi, with 17-year-old El Chadaille Bitshiabu in central defence. The match started well enough for PSG when Gharbi threaded a neat pass for striker Hugo Ekitiké to score in the 13th. But poor defending gifted Châteauroux an equaliser in the 37th, when veteran forward Nolan Roux's cross from the left caused panic and Bitshiabu deflected the loose ball past goalkeeper Keylor Navas. Roux nearly scored moments later with a speculative shot just past the post, with Navas stranded.  

Kylian Mbappe scored a late winner as defending champion Paris Saint-Germain edged Nice 2-1 to restore its two-point lead over Marseille in the French league on Saturday. Mbappe pounced on a pass from Nordi Mukiele to beat Kasper Schmeichel with a low strike in the 83rd minute. The France striker tied Neymar as the joint top scorer in the league with eight. Lionel Messi gave PSG the lead in the 29th with a curling free kick into the top corner from 22 yards. Messi's fifth league goal was one shy of his league tally last season when he took time to adapt to a new club and struggled with knocks and a bout of COVID-19. Gaetan Laborde equalized from close range just after halftime after the PSG defense failed to clear a cross from Youcef Atal. “We started the second half with no energy, no rhythm and no intensity, and we let Nice have more possession,” PSG coach Christophe Galtier said. “We put ourselves in trouble by running after the ball, by not winning our duels and not playing the ball out from the back like we should have. Nice equalized quite logically. So, we had to inject more energy, more speed and more verticality.” Messi shone with Argentina during the international break by scoring twice against Honduras and twice against Jamaica, and could have added a second goal on the stroke of halftime with a powerful strike that Schmeichel tipped over the bar. PSG needed Messi’s brilliance because forward Hugo Ekitike, who got his first start this season, proved toothless and didn’t make runs in behind the defense like Mbappe does. Nice pressed high up the pitch to prevent PSG from creating chances. That defensive ploy worked until the 27th when Messi started a dribbling run, outpacing Mario Lemina before taking on Dante, who tripped the Argentina playmaker and conceded the free kick that led to the opening goal. Ahead of a key Champions League match at Benfica next week, PSG rested Mbappe and Nuno Mendes until both came off the bench in the second half. Also, Rennes is starting to gel after an uneven start to the season, climbing to fifth place after beating 10-man Strasbourg 3-1. Strasbourg defender Gerzino Nyamsi was sent off for planting his studs into Benjamin Bourigeaud’s thigh with his follow through after clearing the ball in the 28th. That was not long after veteran striker Kevin Gameiro had a goal disallowed for offside. Arnaud Kalimuendo took advantage in the 38th by controlling a cross from Adrien Truffert to fire into the bottom corner on the turn. Rennes doubled the lead with a low strike from Martin Terrier in the 49th. Kalimuendo set up Amine Gouiri for the third goal in the 61st. “We are refinding our rhythm from the end of last season,” Terrier said. “There were new signings, they needed time to settle in.” Rennes signed mobile strikers Kalimuendo from Paris Saint-Germain and Gouiri from Nice in the summer to replace the departing Gaetan Laborde, a more traditional center forward. Strasbourg managed a consolation goal from a penalty by Habib Diallo in the 72nd after Rennes right back Hamari Traore brought down Gameiro. They remained in the relegation zone and the only winless team in the league.

Undefeated in six league matches including five wins and 24 goals scored, Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappé are in scintillating form ahead of next week's Champions League clash with Juventus. Mbappé scored twice from Lionel Messi assists as they won 3-0 at 10-man Nantes to remain leader of the French league on Saturday. But the French champions were dealt a blow from Vitinha's apparent knee injury. The Portuguese midfielder was forced off the pitch in the first half after falling on the turf following a late tackle from defender Fabio, who was sent off. PSG coach Christophe Galtier said Vitinha took a “big knock on his knee cap” but did not say whether he could recover in time for Tuesday's match against the Serie A side at the Parc des Princes. Read:PSG drops points after 1-1 draw with Monaco; Marseille wins Nantes trailed from the 17th minute after Mbappé's superb goal with a curled right-footed shot from the left side of the box into the opposite corner. He was set up by Messi on the break. Messi was again the provider for Mbappé's seventh goal — this time from close range — which was initially disallowed for offside in the 53rd but given after a VAR check. Nuno Mendes completed the scoring in the 67th from the rebound after Neymar hit the post. PSG leads undefeated Marseille in the standings on goal difference. SANCHEZ MAKES AMENDS After missing a penalty midweek, Alexis Sanchez made amends to cap Marseille's 2-0 win at Auxerre with his third goal in five league matches. Sanchez, who joined Marseille from Inter Milan last month on a free transfer, came off the bench near the hour mark and sealed Marseille's fifth league win in the 83rd minute with a low shot from Matteo Gendouzi's back pass. Marseille has 16 of a possible 18 points. Every time the nine-time champions have managed to remain unbeaten in their six opening matches in the 21st century, they have finished the season in the top three. Marseille will travel to Tottenham next week for the start of its Champions League campaign and coach Igor Tudor rotated his players ahead of the big game in London. Tudor made seven changes, with Sanchez among those left on the bench after he missed from the spot in the 1-0 win against Clermont. Read:Lewandowski leads Barcelona; Benzema keeps Madrid perfect It took only eight minutes for the Marseille visitors to find the net when Gerson scored from the rebound after Cengiz Under dribbled past an Auxerre player in the box and hit the post. Auxerre, which returned to the top-flight after an 11-year absence, was under pressure throughout the first half as Marseille dominated possession in an efficient 3-4-3 system. The hosts played better in the second half but could muster only half-chances. TOKO-EKAMBI SCORES TWICE Karl Toko-Ekambi continued his good run of form by scoring twice in Lyon's 5-0 thrashing of struggling Angers. After being decisive midweek with the winner against Auxerre, Toko Ekambi put the hosts in front against his former team in the 31st minute and scored again near the hour mark. Alexandre Lacazette, Castello Lukeba and Moussa Dembele were also on the scoresheet for third-placed Lyon.

Neymar won and scored a penalty as Paris Saint-Germain rallied to draw 1-1 at home to Monaco and stay in first place in the French league on Sunday. Neymar latched onto Lionel Messi's pass down the left and cut inside central defender Guillermo Maripan, who appeared to catch him with an outstretched leg. The referee waved away PSG's penalty claims but then awarded the kick following a video review. Neymar used his usual staggered run-up to confuse goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel before casually guiding the ball inside the left post. It was Neymar's sixth goal in the league and eighth goal in five games overall. PSG has 10 points and leads on goal difference from bitter rival Marseille and northern side Lens. Monaco rode its luck at times but closed down PSG well early on, denying space to its famed attacking trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, then took the lead in the 20th. After recent signing Mohamed Camara tackled Messi near the halfway line, Russia midfielder Aleksandr Golovin sent a pass into the path of German striker Kevin Volland, who held off central defender Presnel Kimpembe before striking a low shot into the bottom right corner. PSG's strike force had netted 17 league goals in the three previous league games under new coach Christophe Galtier, but did not hit the target until Mbappe's tame shot in the 37th. “They closed us down well,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “They stopped us bringing the ball out from the back.” PSG then struck the post twice in first-half injury time, with Messi's curler from 20 meters clipping the left upright and bouncing to Mbappe, who rushed his shot and hit the base of the right post. Marquinhos conceded a clumsy corner right at the start of the second half and, minutes later, Monaco striker Wissam Ben Yedder went close with a lob for 12th-place Monaco after goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma rushed off his line. Read:Liverpool equals EPL record in 9-0 win over Bournemouth Nuebel made a fine stop to deny Neymar in the 59th but was well beaten on his penalty. Meanwhile, coach Igor Tudor’s new-look Marseille is looking good as Alexis Sanchez scored twice and his team won 3-0 at southern rival Nice in an earlier game. Nice recruited strongly, bringing in established Premier League players like goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, midfielder Aaron Ramsey and forward Nicolas Pepe, but is still seeking a win and is in 18th place. Marseille has made a strong start under Tudor, who is known as a disciplinarian and whose appointment was questioned by fans — especially when he left veteran playmaker Dimitri Payet out of the first three games. But Tudor is winning the fans over with a high-octane brand of pressing soccer. He also said he'd give the 35-year-old Payet games. This time, he started him playing just behind Sanchez — a much-heralded signing from Italian champion Inter Milan. The Chile forward grabbed his first goal in the 10th minute and, after former Arsenal fullback Nuno Tavares made it three goals in four games this season, Tavares combined with Payet to help set up Sanchez's second goal in the 42nd. OTHER MATCHES Marseille was not the only side scoring freely away from home, with Montpellier netting five first-half goals in a 7-0 victory at Brest. The 19-year-old striker Elye Wahi scored twice and veteran forward Valere Germain added two second-half goals for eighth-place Montpellier. It was a stinging defeat for Brest coach Michel Der Zakarian, who played 10 years for the club as a defender and coached it from 2017-21. Striker Moussa Dembélé's towering late header earned fourth-place Lyon a 1-1 draw at Reims. Promoted Toulouse led early with a goal from midfielder Zakaria Aboukhlal but conceded three second-half goals in a 3-1 loss at midtable Nantes. Nigeria striker Terem Moffi scored both goals as Lorient beat Clermont 2-1 at home. Elsewhere, Troyes beat Angers 3-1 in a scrap between lowly sides.

Kylian Mbappe scored after just eight seconds of play to claim the joint-fastest goal in the history of the French league on Sunday. Mbappe found the net at the start of a 7-1 win for defending champion Paris Saint-Germain over Lille on Sunday. The visitors needed just four passes from kickoff to score as Lionel Messi hit a superb ball over the top for Mbappe, who cleverly lobbed Lille goalkeeper Leo Jardim. PSG coach Christophe Galtier gave credit to his technical staff and to the club's Under-19 team. From kickoff, Neymar played the ball back before receiving it again and passing to Messi, who spotted Mbappe’s run and had the technical brilliance to exploit it. Read:Thriving Modric helps Madrid get over Casemiro's departure “Our Under-19 team did it in the youth league against Salzburg,” Galtier told a news conference. “We showed it to the players. They were OK to try it. So, we worked on it in training and it was very well executed tonight.” The French league tweeted that Mbappe’s goal ties midfielder Michel Rio who also needed just eight seconds to score for Caen against Cannes in 1992. French sports paper L’Equipe was more cautious, calling it the fastest goal since Rio’s with Mbappe’s goal closer to nine seconds, it said. The French league started in 1932. Galtier was referrring to Edouard Michut’s goal in a 3-1 loss to Salzburg in the youth league in March. Michut needed 11 seconds to score according to PSG’s official website. The French coach also said that his staff studied similar kickoff routines in the German, English and Spanish leagues, mentioning Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano as teams that scored such goals. Mbappe had a hat trick while Neymar scored two goals and provided three assists against Lille as PSG extended its perfect start to the season with three wins from three games.

Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe won the French league's best player award for the third time in his career on Sunday, then diplomatically swerved a question about his future. Mbappe is out of contract at PSG next month and touted to join Karim Benzema at Real Madrid in what would be a formidable attack force. Mbappe said he didn’t want to announce his decision during the ceremony but added “Yes, pretty much” when asked if he’s made his mind up over whether to stay or go. Mbappe is the league's top scorer with 25 goals for the French champion and has netted 36 in all competitions. Also read:Late goal gives Sevilla final Champions League spot in Spain The awards are given annually by the National Union of Professional Football Players (UNFP) to players in France’s top two divisions. The 23-year-old France star won the award last year — when Mbappe netted a career-high 42 goals overall — and in 2019. “It's always an honor to be here. Winning for a third time in a row is incredible," Mbappe said. “I’ve felt the recognition this season more than ever.” The trophy was not awarded in 2020 after the coronavirus pandemic ended the season 10 games early. Although PSG comfortably won the league title — which it surprisingly lost to Lille last season — Mbappe's goals and assists masked glaring shortcomings which were ruthlessly exposed by Madrid in the round of 16 in the Champions League. PSG led 2-0 on aggregate thanks to Mbappe's goals, but then allowed three goals in under 20 minutes as Benzema tore the defense apart with a brilliant hat trick. Mbappe's partnership with Benzema has blossomed since Benzema's return to the national side after seven years out and they both scored heavily in the past year for Les Bleus. Benzema struck a magnificent goal in the Nations League final against Spain and Mbappe scored the winner. Mbappe has scored 168 goals for PSG since joining from Monaco in a deal worth 180 million euros ($187 million) five years ago, the second highest tally in the club's history behind former teammate Edinson Cavani with 200 goals. “I want to keep improving,” Mbappe said, laughing when the on-stage interviewer asked if he thought he could overtake Cavani at PSG, which would obviously mean staying there. Also read: FIFA takes on EA Sports video game in soccer’s new rivalry “I'm already very happy to be in the top three,” said Mbappe, who overtook Zlatan Ibrahimovic's PSG tally of 156 goals. But PSG's failure to win the Champions League despite massive spending on star players — including a world record 222 million euros ($231 million) on Brazil's Neymar — has proved frustrating for Mbappe, the star of France's World Cup triumph four years ago. In other awards, Bruno Genesio of Rennes was named best coach. The former Lyon coach was criticized early in the season but stuck to his principles. Fourth-place Rennes has played some of the best attacking soccer in France, scoring 80 goals in 37 games and only five fewer than top scorers PSG. The best goalkeeper award went to PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma, and 21-year-old Marseille defender William Saliba, who is on loan from Premier League team Arsenal, was the best young player.

Runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain took a step closer to reclaiming the French league title after beating rival Marseille 2-1 on Sunday in a game lacking the intensity befitting their bitter rivalry and featuring two controversial decisions that went PSG's way. Having lost the title to Lille last season, PSG is 15 points clear of second-place Marseille with six games left. Victory at Angers on Wednesday will seal the title for PSG if Marseille draws at home to Nantes; and a draw is enough if Marseille loses. Also read:Benzema rallies Madrid past Sevilla, closer to league title Neymar and Kylian Mbappe scored in a subdued atmosphere at Parc des Princes, but Mbappe's penalty awarded deep into first-half injury time for 2-1 was questionable. A video review gave hand ball against Valentin Rogier after the ball hit his elbow, even though it appeared to hit his thigh first. Mbappe scored with a low shot to the left for his league-leading 21st goal. Marseille's players were angry when central defender William Saliba's goal in the 85th from Dimitri Payet's excellent free kick was ruled out for a very thin offside. The VAR call appeared to show Saliba's shoulder was just ahead of PSG's Danilo Pereira. Marseille's defeat leaves it in second place — three points ahead of Rennes — and automatic Champions League qualification. PSG is out of the Champions League and the players were fully rested to take on a Marseille side which played in Greece on Thursday to reach the Europa Conference League semifinals. The visitors were comfortable until Italy midfielder Marco Verratti lofted a 12th-minute pass over the defense and Neymar was at full stretch to lob goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who misread the pass. It was Neymar's seventh goal in the five games since PSG was knocked out of the Champions League by Read Madrid in the last 16. But PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made a mistake on a corner and, from the scramble, Croatia center half Duje Caleta-Car poked home in the 31st. Record seven-time Golden Ball winner Lionel Messi had a goal ruled out for offside close to halftime. PSG fans insulted Marseille's players throughout but did not back their own team, exasperated by another collapse from a strong position in the Champions League against Madrid last month. “I wasn't expecting this atmosphere. It wasn't the right time to do this,” PSG captain Marquinhos said. “We understand they (the fans) have their reasons, maybe they're not getting answers. But as a player I don't agree.” Earlier, Andy Delort's late goal gave Nice a hard-fought 2-1 home win against Lorient and kept it in contention for a Champions League spot. Delort's second goal of the game saw him head in Denmark striker Kasper Dolberg's cross in the 88th minute. Also read:Favourites to reach the UEFA Champions League 2022 Finals The win moved fourth-place Nice two points behind Rennes in third and a Champions League playoff spot. Nice currently holds the automatic Europa League place, one point ahead of Strasbourg and Monaco with six games left. Fifth-place Strasbourg drew 1-1 at Troyes on Sunday. Monaco hosts Nice in the Riviera derby on Wednesday. Delort netted from the penalty spot in the 54th after midfielder Khephren Thuram was fouled. Left winger Armand Lauriente equalized in the 61st. Elsewhere, striker Moussa Dembele scored a hat trick as Lyon routed Bordeaux 6-1 to go some way to appeasing its disgruntled supporters. Dembele, forward Karl Toko Ekambi and midfielder Lucas Paqueta scored in the first half. Midfielder Romain Faivre and Toko Ekambi netted after the break for Lyon, before Sekou Mara grabbed a late consolation with a penalty and Dembele scored again in stoppage time. Lyon is eighth and only has an outside chance of qualifying for Europe next season, much to the disappointment of its fans. Two prominent groups — Bad Gones and Lyon 1950 — did not attend the game. Lyon's fans are generally unhappy with the players and how the club is being run. Fans deployed an insulting banner toward the players during Thursday's home defeat to West Ham in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, and tried to invade the field afterward. Bordeaux has conceded a league-high 77 goals and remains deep in relegation trouble in 19th. It hosts fellow struggler Saint-Etienne on Wednesday. OTHER MATCHES Elsewhere Sunday, last-place Metz and relegation rival Clermont drew 1-1. In matches between midtable teams, it was: Montpellier 0, Reims 0; and Nantes 1, Angers 1.

Kylian Mbappe notched two goals and three assists as Paris Saint-Germain beat Lorient 5-1 and maintained its 12-point lead over Marseille to move ever closer to a record 10th French league title on Sunday. There are eight rounds left. Mbappe provided the spark in the final third from the fourth minute with a dribbling run and low shot that goalkeeper Matthieu Dreyer palmed away. Soon after, the France striker fed Neymar, who opened the scoring. Read:Barcelona edges Sevilla to move into 2nd in Spanish league The lead doubled in the 28th when Mbappe scored with his signature move, faking a curler into the far corner before drilling into the near corner. When Lorient forward Terem Moffi cut the lead in the 56th by pouncing on a sloppy back pass from Achraf Hakimi to knock the ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, PSG supporters loudly booed their team's lapse in concentration. Mbappe dashed Lorient’s hopes of a comeback by raising his league tally to 17 goals, dribbling past Julien Laporte to bury the ball into the bottom corner in the 67th. Six minutes later, Mbappe squared the ball back for Lionel Messi, who shot under the crossbar for 4-1. Mbappe made his league-leading 13th assist by playing Neymar in for the final goal in the 90th. “We must bring back that 10th league title for the supporters, for the club. It’s important,” Mbappe said. “We have an opportunity to make history.” PSG has relied heavily on Mbappe’s brilliance this season. However, his contract runs out this summer and Mbappe hasn’t committed to any club yet. “I haven’t made any decision yet,” Mbappe said. “I’m still thinking because there are new factors (...) I don’t want to get it wrong. I want to make the right choice.” Marseille consolidated second place by rallying past relegation-threatened Saint-Etienne 4-2 in a game full of blunders. Gabon striker Denis Bouanga gave Saint-Etienne the lead in the ninth minute by shooting past goalkeeper Pau Lopez, who made an embarrassing handling mistake. But Saint-Etienne self-destructed by conceding two penalties and scoring an own goal. Marseille's third straight league win opened a three-point gap on third-placed Rennes, while Saint-Etienne remained in the relegation zone, one point from safety. The top two clubs qualify for the Champions League while the third-placed club goes to qualifying. Strasbourg emerged as a surprise contender in the race for European spots after edging Lens 1-0 to climb up to fourth place. Read:FIFA World Cup 2022: GroupWise Favourites to Advance to Round of 16 Strasbourg stretched its unbeaten run to eight games to go level on points with Nice and just two points behind Rennes. The team’s best finish in the past 20 seasons was 10th in 2020. “The ambition is to do as best as we can until the end of the season,” Strasbourg coach Julien Stephan said. “We’ve never put pressure on ourselves. I don’t see why we should put more pressure on ourselves today. We just want to have fun.” Monaco edged lowly Metz 2-1 and France international Wissam Ben Yedder extended his league-leading goal tally to 18. In his French league debut, Brazilian winger Tete kept Lyon’s slim European hopes alive in a 3-2 victory over Angers. Lyon blew the lead twice despite two goals from striker Moussa Dembele. Nantes handed Clermont a fourth straight loss, 3-2, Brest won at mid-table Montpellier 2-1, and Troyes beat Reims 1-0 in injury time to move away from the relegation zone.