Mbappe scores double, Messi provides 300th club assist

French superstar Kylian Mbappe scored a last-minute winner as Paris Saint-Germain beat Brest 2-1 in Ligue 1.

The match also saw 7-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi provide his 300th assist at club level as PSG went 11 points clear of Marseille in the Ligue 1 table.

PSG opened the scoring through Spanish midfielder Carlos Soler, who slammed in a rebound in the 37th minute after Brest goalkeeper Marco Bizot parried a swerving long-range strike from Mbappe. The Spain international was the most threatening player for PSG in the first half. In the 11th minute, Soler curled a shot that Bizot diverted onto the post. The Spaniard also fed Mbappe, who missed the target from a tight angle in the 26th minute.

Bizot frustrated PSG in the second half, palming away Messi’s effort from the edge of the box in the 65th minute and saving a close-range attempt from Nuno Mendes in the 70th minute.

In the dying minutes of the game, Messi played Mbappe in, who beat the offside trap and rounded the Brest goalkeeper to slot the ball into an empty net. This was Messi’s 300th assist at club level, becoming the first player to achieve the milestone.

Speaking after the game, PSG coach Chistophe Galtier said the team is focused on winning Ligue 1, despite their disappointment in the UEFA Champions League. PSG were knocked out of the premier European club competition, after losing against Bayern Munich in the round of 16 stage.

“Of course, there is this disappointment, but we have to go and get this title, and there is unity. And have no doubt about this unity,” said Galtier.

Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou questioned why Mbappe was not shown a red card for kicking Haris Belkebla, who was on the ground in the 85th minute, before going on to score the winner.

“We’re not saying that we lost because of that, but I’d like to know whether all the players would get the same treatment if they did that. I asked the referee for an explanation. He said that it was tame. So, I’d like to see what’s a real kick,” said Lees-Melou.

This win takes PSG 11 points clear of Marseille in the Ligue 1 table. The Parisians have amassed 66 points in 27 matches and will face Rennes on March 19._Agencies