REIMS: With Kylian Mbappe’s hat-trick to Gigio Donnarumma’s string of superb saves, Paris Saint-Germain moved to the top of the Ligue 1 with a 3-0 win at Reims. Paris took the lead with the first real attack of the game with three minutes on the clock, Mbappe volleying home an early goal at the back post following Ousmane Dembele’s cross. Reims were a matter of inches away from restoring parity minutes later when Junya Ito fired beyond Donnarumma, but the flag went up for offside against the Japanese in the 7th minute. Donnarumma got lucky again on the half-hour when his poor pass for Fabian Ruiz ended up at Azor Matusiwa’s feet, but the Dutchman fired off target with the goal at his mercy (30').
The Italy No.1 made some amends at the end of the half when he stopped Amir Richardson at point-blank range (39'), and when Willy Delajod’s whistle for half-time went.
Donnarumma had to be on his toes once again to keep out a Joseph Okumu header from a corner early in the second half (55') and minutes later Mbappe settled the visitors’ nerves, bagging his second of the game when he tapped home from Carlos Soler’s low cross (59').
Mbappé went looking for his hat-trick soon after having been played through, once again, by Dembelée, but this time Donnarumma’s opposite number Yehvann Diouf pulled off a save at 67 minutes. The man himself then stopped a Marshall Munetsi header on his line (72').
Mbappe’s third soon followed, though, the game’s best player left with another straightforward finish, this time from a Bradley Barcola cutback (82') and it ended 3-0 for Luis Enrique’s men. PSG have scored at least three goals in each of their last five Ligue 1 matches. IANS
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