Kylian Mbappe marked his 25th birthday with a brace as Paris St Germain returned to winning ways in Ligue 1 with a 3-1 home victory over struggling Metz.
Mbappe had been a virtual passenger for long periods before he rifled home his first on the hour mark, and he added a second seven minutes from time to make sure of the points.
It was a welcome response from the shock of conceding a stoppage-time equaliser against Lille at the weekend and maintained PSG’s five-point lead at the top of the table.
But Metz gave them problems and briefly threatened to force their way back into the game after Matthieu Udol headed home their only goal to reduce the deficit in the 72nd minute.
PSG struggled to turn their near-constant possession into chances early in the opening period with Vitinha coming closest during a frantic spell in the visitors’ box.
Mbappe would almost certainly have won a penalty after 15 minutes when he was brought down by Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja in the box, but he strayed marginally offside in the process.
Metz almost grabbed a shock lead 10 minutes later when the persistently dangerous Kevin Van Den Kerkhof crossed into the box and Danilo bounced a header against his own crossbar.
Mbappe drilled his only chance of a frustrating first period into the Metz wall, before PSG finally got on the scoresheet five minutes after half-time.
Lee Kang-in cut inside and found Vitinha whose volley from close-range put the home side 1-0 in front.
Mbappe might have hardly been in the game but he still rose to the occasion when it mattered, unleashing a 25-yard rocket on the hour that gave Oukidja no chance.
Just when the hosts looked set to cruise to victory, Metz gave them something to think about as Udol headed home to reduce the deficit, then the buoyant visitors forced a succession of corners.
But PSG were still carrying plenty of threat and they effectively sealed the win in the 83rd minute when Mbappe pounced on a poor back pass to lift the ball over the Metz keeper.
To round off a memorable night for Mbappe, his 16-year-old brother Ethan made his debut from the substitutes’ bench in the final moments.
Nashville SC v San Jose Earthquakes: ‘A win would change everything’ - Godoy
Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.
Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.
The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.
Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.
He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.
“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”
Liverpool agree compensation deal for Slot
Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.
The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.
Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.
It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.
Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.
Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.
QPR 4-0 Leeds United: Shock loss for Farke's men seals Leicester's promotion
QPR thrashed Leeds United 4-0 in the Championship on Friday, ensuring Leicester City booked their promotion straight back to the Premier League.
Ilias Chair was the star for the Hoops as he scored the opener and assisted two more goals to ensure QPR will stay in the Championship for another season.
Lucas Andersen, Lyndon Dykes and Sam Field also got their names on the scoresheet in an emphatic win for Marti Cifuentes' side.
Leeds' heaviest defeat of the season was a huge blow in the race for an automatic promotion spot, with Ipswich Town just one point behind them in third place with two games in hand going into their away clash against Hull City on Saturday.
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