Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain made it five wins from six Ligue 1 games this season with a 3-0 win over 10-man Nantes on Saturday.
Mbappe put the champions ahead shortly before the midway point of the first half with his sixth league goal of the campaign, before Nantes wing-back Fabio received his marching orders for a high challenge.
The France international grabbed his second early in the second half, before Nuno Mendes added a third as Christophe Galtier s men wrapped up maximum points with the minimum of fuss.
The result meant PSG returned to the top of Ligue 1 after Marseille had briefly usurped them earlier in the day with victory over Auxerre, while Nantes remained in 10th.
This team
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English)
Samuel Moutoussamy fired over for Nantes early on, while Danilo Pereira and Marquinhos went close at the other end as the visitors started to flex their muscles.
Mbappe then deservedly put PSG ahead in the 18th minute with a whipped effort past Alban Lafont after being played in by Lionel Messi at the end of an incisive counter-attacking move.
Nantes task became significantly harder six minutes later when Fabio received a straight red card for an ugly lunge on Vitinha.
The game was effectively put out of their reach in the 54th minute when Mbappe prodded home from six yards after being picked out by Messi, the goal eventually given after a long VAR review for a possible offside.
Substitute Neymar inexplicably hit the post with the goal at his mercy, but his blushes were spared when Mendes fired in the rebound for his first PSG goal.
What does it mean? Nantes blown away by relentless champions
Nantes kept PSG at bay for 18 minutes, yet as soon as Mbappe superbly finished off a flowing move there was only going to be one winner.
The result means PSG have now won seven of their past eight Ligue 1 away games, scoring a whopping 34 goals and conceding just five in that time.
Magnificent Messi
Mbappe will get the headlines after his brace, but Messi was at his unplayable best here.
The Argentina maestro laid on both of Mbappe s goals from two of his three key passes – a total not bettered by anyone on the pitch.
Foolish Fabio
Nantes were already 1-0 down when Fabio raked his studs down Vitinha s leg and any hopes they had of getting back into the game were vanquished with his dismissal.
Boss Antoine Kombouare will not be pleased with the former Manchester United man s recklessness.
Key Opta Facts
PSG have scored 24 goals after their first six games in Ligue 1 2022/23, equalling the record for goals scored in Europe s top-five leagues at this stage of a season in the 21st century (24 for Manchester City in 2019/20 and for Bayern Munich in 2020/21).
Lionel Messi has 20 assists after 32 matches in Ligue 1. Since Opta began analysing the competition (2006/07), only Angel Di Maria (in 31 games) has reached this milestone more quickly in the top-flight. 11 of the Argentine s 20 assists have gone to Kylian Mbappé.
Fabio (Nantes) has received four red cards since his Ligue 1 debut (29 September 2018), only Andrei Girotto, another Nantes player (5), has more.
Kylian Mbappw (35 26 goals, 9 assists), Neymar (26 17 9) and Lionel Messi (24 8 16) are the three players involved on the most goals in Ligue 1 in 2022.
What s next?
Both sides are in European action in midweek, with PSG starting their Champions League campaign at home to Juventus on Tuesday and Nantes hosting Olympiacos in the Europa League two days later.
