Mbappe on target for five-goal PSG before World Cup
Paris, France - Kylian Mbappe scored and came through unscathed along with fellow Paris
Saint-germain stars Lionel Messi and Neymar in their final match before the World Cup, a 5-0 Ligue 1 rout of Auxerre on Sunday.
PSG coach Christophe Galtier opted not to rest the attacking trio against the Burgundy side as
the champions sought to extend their lead at the top of the table before the break for the tournament in Qatar.
And Mbappe scored the opener after 11 minutes in Paris
for his 12th league goal this season after good work by Messi, Moroccan Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.
Carlos Soler nodded in the second after 51 minutes and then
set up Hakimi for the third six minutes lat-er. Renato Sanches and Hu-go Ekitike added two more in the final ten minutes.
The Parisians move five points ahead of Lens, who won 2-1 at home against Clermont on Saturday, with Rennes a further five points adrift in third.
For their final match before
the World Cup, the MNM trio - Messi, Neymar, Mbappe - took
to the pitch but did not really sparkle in a game played without great intensity.
The apathy of the magic trio did not, however, prevent the champions giving a demonstration of their goal-scoring prowess before a big break until their next
Ligue 1 match on December 28 against Stras-bourg. Mbappe's early goal following a beautiful cross from Messi relayed by Mendes, seem to anaesthetize the Parisian forwards.
No question of taking the slightest risk for the World Cup players in a tournament which could be the final one for veter
ans Messi and Neymar.
If Messi made an effort and even found the post with a curled shot from the left after 66 min
utes, Neymar measured his pace, collapsing at the slightest contact and playing in slow motion, without any intensity, far from his usual flamboyance.