Kylian Mbappe scores twice, Paris Saint Germain go on top of Ligue 1 on goal difference

Paris St Germain left it late to wrap up a 4-0 win at 10-man Nimes with Kylian Mbappe scoring twice as the French champions moved top of the Ligue 1 standings on Friday ahead of their Champions League opener against Manchester United. Mbappe opened the scoring before the break and joined Alessandro Florenzi and Pablo Sarabia in netting inside the final 12 minutes to put PSG on 15 points from seven games, four days before hosting United at the Parc des Princes.

They lead Stade Rennes on goal difference after the Brittany side were held to a 1-1 draw at bottom club Dijon. Nimes, who are 13th on eight points, were reduced to 10 men after 12 minutes when Loick Landre was red carded.  PSG lost Leandro Paredes, who was replaced by Ander Herrera, to a thigh injury before Landre was sent off for a dangerous challenge on Rafinha.

Mbappe broke the deadlock on 32 minutes, going around keeper Baptiste Reynet before pushing the ball into the empty goal. PSG, however, lacked Neymar`s creative touch as he was rested for the trip south after returning from international duty for Brazil. But Nimes had too little to offer and PSG, despite being without the suspended Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria and the injured Marco Verratti and Juan Bernat, eventually made their superiority count.

Italy international Florenzi, on loan from AS Roma, doubled the tally on 78 minutes with a header before Mbappe struck again five minutes later after being set up by Sarabia. The Spaniard rounded it off with two minutes left just after Italy international Moise Kean, on loan from Everton, hit the bar with a header on his PSG debut.

Missing in Nations League

France stretched their unbeaten run against Croatia to eight games after a late goal by Kylian Mbappe gave the world champions a 2-1 win in their Nations League top-tier Group 3 match on Wednesday. The result left France second in the group on 10 points from four games, behind Portugal on goal difference after the European champions brushed aside Sweden 3-0. Croatia have three points and the Swedes none.

France beat Croatia 4-2 in the 2018 World Cup final before defeating them by the same score in last month`s reverse Nations League fixture. "We knew we’d be in a real battle," France coach Didier Deschamps told French TF1 television. "We started very well and it’s a pity we didn’t go two goals clear as Kylian had a big chance. We did what we needed to do in the second half. It’s not because we won a trophy in 2018 that you win by clicking your fingers. You have to look at the way the opponents play too."

Kylian Mbappe missed a gilt-edged opportunity to make it 2-0 as he shot wide from close range with the goal at his mercy, while visiting keeper Hugo Lloris kept out Mario Pasalic’s shot from three metres with a reflex save. Croatia midfielder Nikola Vlasic equalised in the 65th minute, unleashing a sublime shot with the outside of his foot past Lloris after good work by Luka Modric and Josip Brekalo.