PSG sweep past Nimes as troubled Marseille blow lead

PARIS: Paris St Germain shrugged off the absence of a suspended Neymar to beat basement side Nimes 3-0 in Ligue 1, while crisis-hit rivals Marseille let slip a two-goal lead against Lens.

Angel Di Maria pounced on a misplaced pass to steer PSG ahead on 17 minutes at the Parc des Princes, with Pablo Sarabia heading in a cross from the Argentine to double the advantage.

Thilo Kehrer rattled the crossbar at a corner before PSG goalkeeper Sergio Rico, again filling in for the injured Keylor Navas, reacted sharply to tip over from Lamine Fomba.

Kylian Mbappe bagged a third for the hosts midway through the second half with a superb curling strike from 20 yards, his league-leading 15th goal of the season.

PSG surrendered top spot at the weekend following a shock 3-2 loss at Lorient, Mauricio Pochettino’s first defeat since taking charge, and remain three points back of leaders Lille ahead of Sunday’s trip to Marseille.

“It’s a good reaction after the disappointment of the defeat at Lorient,” said Pochettino.

“The team created chances and controlled the match.”

“We didn’t play the two halves with the same intensity, the players perhaps had Sunday’s game on their mind a bit,” he added.

“We’ll have to be at our best for 90 minutes then, like in the Champions Trophy.”

RESULTS

Metz 1 Montpellier 1, Bordeaux 0 Lille 3, Rennes 1 Lorient 1, Reims 0 Angers 0, Strasbourg 2 Brest 2, Dijon 0 Lyon 1, Lens 2 Marseille 2, Paris St Germain 3 Nimes 0, Monaco 2 Nice 1, St Etienne 1 Nantes 1.