Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain edged out Angers 2-1 at Stade Raymond-Kopa.
Moving 11 points clear at the Ligue 1 summit despite a generally below-par display, the runaway leaders did the damage in the first half against the division’s bottom side, whose relegation could be confirmed this weekend.
Mbappe’s pair of well-taken goals inside the opening 26 minutes took his tally for the season to 34 in all competitions, though the visitors were denied a clean sheet by Sada Thioub’s late strike.
Nevertheless, PSG registered their 14th successive league win over Angers, equalling their own record for consecutive victories over a single opponent in the French top flight (against Nantes).
Angers had the first opportunity when Batista Mendy’s throughball released Ibrahima Niane, but Gianluigi Donnarumma was quickly out of his goal to deny him.
PSG broke the deadlock just four minutes later. Juan Bernat cushioned Lionel Messi’s delicious diagonal ball into Mbappe who, despite fluffing his first attempt, recovered to eventually scramble home.
Messi was instrumental again as the visitors doubled their lead in the 26th minute, playing a sublime throughball for Mbappe to latch onto and round Angers goalkeeper Paul Bernardoni before slotting in.
The visitors pushed to stretch their advantage, with Achraf Hakimi firing over nine minutes into the second half, while Mbappe went close to completing his hat-trick when Bernardoni tipped over his dipping 35-yard effort.
Angers rallied and halved the deficit three minutes from time when Abdallah Sima cushioned Yan Valery’s cross for Thioub to tuck home. But PSG held out to edge a step closer to yet another Ligue 1 title.
What does it mean? Angers on the brink of relegation
PSG were far from their clinical best, registering just 10 shots – six fewer than their opponents managed during the 90 minutes.
Nevertheless, they did enough to get the job done and their opponents’ relegation will be confirmed this weekend should other results go against them.
Excluding the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it would be the earliest relegation for a team since Troyes in 2015-16 (also on matchday 32).
Messi joins Mbappe and Hazard
After playing a key role in the first goal, Messi joined an exclusive Ligue 1 club following a superb assist for Mbappe’s second.
Indeed, it was the Argentina captain’s 15th assist of the season – matching his goal tally – making him the third player since 2006-07 after Mbappe (28 and 17 in 2021-22) and Eden Hazard (20 and 16 in 2011-12) to register 15 goals and assists in a single campaign.
Mbappe equals Payet record
Mbappe’s well-taken brace proved enough to ensure the spoils for PSG at Stade Raymond-Kopa.
The France captain has now been directly involved in 214 Ligue 1 goals (157 goals, 57 assists) – the joint-most in the French top flight since 2006-07 along with Dimitri Payet.
Key Opta facts
– Angers have 14 points after 32 Ligue 1 games in 2022-23, the lowest tally at this stage of the competition for a non-promoted team in history since three points for a win (also 14 for Lens in 1988-89). Only Brest (13 in 1979-80) have a lower tally after 32 games in a Ligue 1 season.
– PSG have won 23 of their 26 Ligue 1 games against a team ranked at the bottom of the table before the matchday since QSI bought the club (D2 L1), having won each of their last eight.
– Angers have lost 12 of their 17 Ligue 1 home games this season (W2 D3). Only Le Havre (13 in 2008-09) have lost more games at home at this stage of the competition in a single season.
– PSG totalled fewer expected goals (1.38) than their opponents (1.51 for Angers) for the eighth time this season in Ligue 1, including in each of their last four games.
What’s next?
PSG’s charge towards the Ligue 1 title continues when they host Lorient at Parc des Princes on April 30. Meanwhile, Angers’ fate could well be sealed by the time they travel to Rennes on the same day.
