Kylian Mbappe inspired 10-man Paris St Germain to a 2-0 victory over Le Havre to send them four points clear of Nice at the top of Ligue 1.

PSG found themselves down to 10 men after just 10 minutes when goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma was sent off for a high challenge on Josue Casimir.

The visitors went in front in the 23rd minute through Mbappe and while the hosts did their best to find an equaliser, Vitinha scored against the run of play in the 89th minute to seal three points.

Goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved two penalties as Lille claimed a 2-0 win at home to Metz.

The 22-year-old denied Simon Elisor before two goals in first-half stoppage time from Yusuf Yazici and Jonathan David put Lille in front.

More heroics from Chevalier 10 minutes into the second half to keep out Lamine Camara’s penalty helped preserve victory for the home side.

Monaco kept pace with PSG with a 2-0 win over 10-man Montpellier, who saw Boubakar Kouyate sent off in the second half, while Brest beat Clermont 3-0 and Toulouse played out a 1-1 draw with Lorient.

In LaLiga, Hector Bellerin was shown a red card in the 27th minute of Real Betis’ goalless draw at Almeria, while Mallorca and Alaves also drew a blank.

Rasmus Kristensen scored the winner for Roma as they came from behind to beat Sassuolo 2-1 in Serie A.

Matheus Henrique fired in a first-half opener for Sassuolo, but it all came undone after the break when Daniel Boloca was dismissed and Paulo Dybala scored from the spot, before Kristensen fired home a second.

A Lucas Beltran spot-kick and further goals from Riccardo Sottil and Giacomo Bonaventura earned Fiorentina a 3-0 victory over Salernitana, while Udinese and Verona drew 3-3.

Sixth-placed Bologna looked poised for victory at Lecce but had to settle for a point after Roberto Piccoli’s penalty in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time cancelled out Charalampos Lykogiannis’ 68th-minute opener.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund were on course to leapfrog fourth-placed Leipzig with a vital victory at leaders Bayer Leverkusen after Julian Ryerson fired the visitors ahead after five minutes.

But Victor Boniface salvaged a point when he levelled late in the second half.

Goncalo Ramos scored twice as Paris St Germain shrugged off last week’s Ligue 1 loss to Nice by strolling to a 4-0 win over bitter rivals Marseille at the Parc des Princes.

The 22-year-old Portugal striker replaced the injured Kylian Mbappe just past the half-hour mark and added his brace to earlier strikes from Achraf Hakimi and Kolo Muani as the reigning champions eased to victory in Le Classique.

The win will allay concerns over PSG’s sluggish start to the domestic season while it heaps more frustration on the visitors who have now gone three Ligue 1 games without a win.

PSG were on top from the opening moments, pinning Marseille back and taking just eight minutes to open their account when Hakimi curled a brilliant free-kick past Pau Lopez after Mbappe was fouled on the edge of the box.

Mbappe was almost played in by Warren Zaire-Emery before Marseille missed a rare chance to equalise when Vitinha headed a cross against the top of the bar.

Mbappe, struggling from the effects of an early challenge, was replaced by Ramos after 32 minutes, and five minutes later Muani made it two by prodding home the rebound after Hakimi’s initial low shot came back off the post.

Two minutes into the second half Ramos grabbed his first goal since his summer move from Benfica when he met a cross from Ousmane Dembele with a brilliant header past Lopez.

It was relentless stuff from PSG with Hakimi firing just over the bar then sending another free-kick just wide as Marseille barely got a look-in.

Chancel Mbemba summoned a pair of speculative efforts but it was clearly all in vain for the visitors, and their pain increased in the dying minutes as PSG scored a deserved fourth.

A Marseille free-kick was swiftly cleared and Muani roved into the visitors’ half where he found Ramos who delivered a well-judged shot over Lopez to complete a one-sided win.

Jeremie Boga’s stoppage-time goal earned Nice a 1-0 victory over Monaco in Ligue 1.

Boga fired home in the first minute of six added on in the battle of the two previously unbeaten sides, moving above their opponents at the top of the early standings before the rest of the weekend’s action.

Inaki Williams scored one and set up the other as Athletic Bilbao won 2-0 away to Alaves in LaLiga.

Williams opened the scoring in the 18th minute after being teed up by Mikel Vesga, and then turned provider for Oihan Sancet to make sure of the points 14 minutes from time.

Lecce continued their strong start to the Serie A season as they edged out the 10 men of Genoa 1-0 on Friday night.

Remi Oudin got the winning goal seven minutes from time with a left-footed strike from outside the area.

By then, Genoa had played more than half the match a man down, with Aaron Martin having collected two yellow cards inside the opening 36 minutes.

Salernitana and Frosinone shared the points from a 1-1 draw, with Simone Romagnoli scoring for Frosinone 13 minutes in before Jovane Cabral levelled for the hosts early in the second half.

Stuttgart came from behind to beat Darmstadt 3-1 as Serhou Guirassy scored a brace.

The visitors led when Dan-Axel Zagadou put through his own net 17 minutes in, but Enzo Millot levelled for the hosts five minutes later.

Guirassy then completed the turnaround before half-time, adding his second of the night in the final minute.

Veteran Italy midfielder Marco Verratti has signed for Qatari side Al-Arabi, ending his 11-year stay at Paris St Germain.

Verratti, who turns 31 in November, signed for PSG from Serie B outfit Pescara during the summer of 2012.

The midfielder went on to win the Ligue 1 title nine times while also helping the French club reach the final of the interrupted 2019–20 Champions League, where they were beaten by Bayern Munich.

Verratti, part of Italy’s successful Euro 2020 side, had also been linked with a potential move to Saudi Arabia, with his transfer fee to Al-Arabi reported to be in the region of 45million euro (£38.6m).

“I’ve been very proud to play for Paris Saint-Germain for over a decade, to rub shoulders with so many great players and to win 30 trophies,” said Verratti, who made 416 appearances for PSG, the second-highest total in the club’s history.

“Paris, the club and its fans will always hold a very special place in my heart. I’ll forever be a Parisian.”

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi added: “Marco will be forever linked to Paris Saint-Germain, playing such a big part in our great history.

“He will always be part of the club. We wish him all the very best with his new adventure.”

Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson has joined Ligue 1 outfit Clermont Foot on a season-long loan with an option to buy from Russian giants Spartak Moscow.

The 26-year-old scored eight goals in 30 appearances for Spartak after joining them from Belgian side Charleroi in December 2021.

His best result with Spartak came in his first season when they won the Russian Cup 2-1 over rivals Dynamo Moscow.

Nicholson has scored 10 goals in 33 appearances for the Reggae Boyz and was in the squad for their quarterfinal run at the Concacaf Gold Cup in the USA this year.

Paris St Germain are ready to integrate Kylian Mbappe back into the first-team squad, according to reports.

The France captain’s future in the capital city has seemed uncertain following links with a move to Real Madrid and reports earlier this week that he was frozen out of senior training.

Mbappe was told to stay away after he refused to activate an option to extend his current contract to 2025, meaning the superstar would be free to negotiate a free transfer to foreign clubs in January.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kylian Mbappé (@k.mbappe)

He was not involved as PSG began their Ligue 1 campaign in underwhelming fashion with a goalless draw against Lorient, with Neymar also not included in the matchday squad.

But before the game Mbappe and the club are reported to have held positive talks that will see the 24-year-old return to Luis Enrique’s squad.

A club statement on Sunday, reported by French newspaper L’Equipe, read: “After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris St Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in the first training team this morning.”

Boss Enrique had said before the game that he was confident of a positive outcome.

“It is something that has already happened in the past and there was a positive solution before I was here,” he said in his pre-match press conference.

“I hope and wish that, just like in the past, the same thing will happen again and that the club and the player will reach an agreement.”

Kylian Mbappe will be barred from training with Paris St Germain’s main first-team group as his contract dispute with the club continues, the PA news agency understands.

PSG return to their training base on Monday following their pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, but Mbappe will be part of the so-called ‘loft’ training group rather than the first team as his stand-off with the club drags on.

PSG sources remain convinced the player, who is out of contract next summer, has already agreed a free transfer deal with Real Madrid.

Mbappe’s management are understood to have refused to engage with an offer from the club to sign a new contract containing a guaranteed sale clause, which would allow him to join another club for a fee next summer.

From PSG’s perspective, there is no reason why he would turn down the offer, because it gives him the opportunity to leave when he wants and join the club he wants.

PSG had given Al Hilal permission to speak to the player after they tabled a world record bid of £259million last month, but Mbappe reportedly refused to even meet with delegates from the Saudi club who had flown to Paris.

Chelsea and Barcelona are understood to be two of the clubs trying to work out a player-plus-cash deal for Mbappe, who was part of France’s World Cup-winning squad in 2018 and also one of the stars of the last tournament in Qatar.

PSG kick off their 2023/24 Ligue 1 campaign at home to Lorient on Saturday.

What the papers say

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could move to French giants Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer, the Sun reports. The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 27 games for Crystal Palace in all competitions last season and is reportedly attracting interest from the Ligue 1 champions.

After securing the signature of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are looking to add more strength to their midfield with the club linked with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, the Mirror said. The 28-year-old is in high-demand across the Premier League after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.

Chelsea are weighing up a deal with Champions League runners up Inter Milan, according to the Sun. The Blues are reportedly offering the Italian club Romelu Lukaku, who is currently there on loan, and Senegalese defender Kalidou Koulibaly as they look to sign Inter goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

James Maddison: Newcastle United are said to be narrowly in front of Tottenham in the battle to secure the 26-year-old Leicester midfielder, valued at £40million, Sky Sports report.

David Raya: Brentford’s Spanish goalkeeper is weighing up offers from Tottenham and Manchester United, with Spurs reportedly close to agreeing personal terms with the 27-year-old, according to Goal.com.

Paris St Germain has condemned the actions of supporters who are understood to have gathered outside the home of Neymar and chanted for him to leave the club.

It has been a tumultuous week for the Ligue 1 outfit, who suspended Lionel Messi for two weeks following an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia and saw their title hopes hit after a home defeat to Lorient on Sunday.

Fans were filmed on Wednesday chanting for the board to resign outside club headquarters before further clips showed a group of supporters visit the home of Neymar and called for him to move on.

Messi was also believed to be the target of frustration with fans chanting for the World Cup winner to leave, having recently jeered the Argentine in home matches.

“Paris Saint-Germain most strongly condemns the intolerable and insulting actions of a small group of individuals that took place on Wednesday,” a club statement read.

“Whatever the differences of opinion, nothing justifies such actions.

“The club gives its full support to its players, its staff and all those targeted by such shameful behaviour.”

Reports suggest Messi will leave Parc des Princes at the end of the campaign following two seasons in Paris.

It has been reported that Manchester United will look to maintain the momentum gained from this season with three major signings.

Manager Erik ten Hag is said to have an illustrious shortlist of priority targets, including numerous forwards.

But the Red Devils will likely want to bolster their midfield ranks to support Casemiro, Bruno Fernandes, Christian Eriksen and Fred.

TOP STORY – MAN UTD TO LAUNCH BUMPER CAMAVINGA BID

Fichajes reports Manchester United are planning a bumper £115million (€130m) offer for Real Madrid's French midfielder Eduardo Camavinga.

The report claims United are major admirers of Camavinga, who has not fully convinced since his move to Santiago Bernabeu in August 2021.

United view the 20-year-old as a major world-class talent, although Los Blancos may be reluctant to let him go.

ROUND-UP

– ESPN claims Harry Maguire is on the chopping block at Old Trafford with Manchester United looking to sell several first-players including the England defender. Newcastle United are the favourites to sign him while West Ham are in contention, reports 90min.

– Paris Saint-Germain are circling for Newcastle United's Dutch defender Sven Botman, reports iNews. Botman previously spent time in France with Lille.

– Vinicius Junior could leave Real Madrid, with president Florentino Perez open to letting him go in order to sign PSG's Kylian Mbappe, claims El Desmarque. Vinicius Junior and Madrid are yet to agree on a new deal with the Brazilian's contract expiring in 2024.

– Eden Hazard will not exit Real Madrid anytime soon, with the Belgian midfielder intending to remain with Los Blancos until his contract expires in 2024, according to The Athletic.

– CBS Sports claims Arsenal's Reiss Nelson has drawn interest from French club Nice along with Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion. Nelson netted a dramatic late winner in the Gunners' 3-2 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.

– Bayern Munich are on the verge of tabling new contract offers to Lucas Hernandez and Jamal Musiala , per Fabrizio Romano. Agreement on the Hernandez deal is imminent, while new Musiala's long-term contract is a priority.

Lionel Messi moving to MLS to join Inter Miami would be "the biggest signing in history", according to the club's head coach Phil Neville.

The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been heavily linked with a move to the United States and is into the final six months of his Paris Saint-Germain contract.

Ligue 1 giants PSG are keen to retain the services of the 35-year-old, who added a World Cup to his plethora of titles last year, but a fierce fight could take place for his signature.

A move to MLS would see Messi follow in the footsteps of the likes of Miami co-owner David Beckham, Andrea Pirlo, and Steven Gerrard, though likely sparking even more of a frenzy.

Neville believes it would be a signing like no other, adamant Messi is the kind of player his club need to be in the market for.

"I think this would be probably the biggest signing in history," he told the Athletic.

"I can't think of another star of that magnitude to come from a major footballing country to this place. This is maybe similar [to Beckham's arrival], but maybe even bigger.

"I think you're talking about one of the greatest footballers of all time. When you talk about Miami, we have to be in for players like that, you know?"

Should Miami manage to lure Messi to MLS, however, Neville accepts the club would need to make significant logistical changes to accommodate such a recognised figure.

"Things will be different. The trees might have to be bigger [around the training ground]. The security might have to be tighter," he explained.

"The walk the players have today over to that stadium, that might have to be different. The travel might be different. The hotels we stay in might have to be different.

"But really that might be what we're aspiring to be like anyway. It's exciting, but I think it'd be a massive challenge."

Lyon defender Castello Lukeba "has everything" like Josko Gvardiol, according to team-mate Dejan Lovren.

Ex-Liverpool man Lovren returned to Lyon in January after almost 10 years away and has already been impressed by some of his new colleagues.

Lukeba, who only turned 20 in December, was promoted to Lyon's first team in 2021 and has formed a strong partnership with Lovren so far in 2023, starting the last four Ligue 1 games together.

Lovren said: "It's good, we communicate well. He understands what I ask of him. 

"Frankly, he's a very, very, very good player with the qualities to one day be one of the best defenders."

France Under-21 international Lukeba has made 56 appearances in all competitions for Lyon, including 23 in the league so far this season.

And Lovren, who has played alongside the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Samuel Umtiti and, at international level, Gvardiol, sees similarities with a former defensive partner.

"I can compare him with Gvardiol," Lovren said. "He has everything.

"He is very, very young, and he still needs to work a lot. I am there for him, to give him advice. 

"He is a player that I really get a lot from playing with. He understands quickly."

RB Leipzig centre-back Gvardiol has been considered one of the most exciting young defenders around in recent years, attracting interest from many of Europe's biggest clubs.

Most strongly, the Croatia international has been repeatedly linked with a move to Chelsea following their big-money takeover by US businessman Todd Boehly.

Mason Mount's future at Chelsea remains uncertain, with his current deal due to expire in 2024.

Mount has rebuffed multiple contract offers from the Blues, prompting speculation he could move on.

Chelsea are determined to hang on to the 24-year-old but if they cannot, the optimal time to sell may be at the end of this season.

TOP STORY – MAGPIES TO RIVAL REDS IN MOUNT RACE

Newcastle United will join the pursuit to sign Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount at the end of this season, claims the Daily Mail.

Liverpool have been linked with Mount given his contract status, but the Magpies could rival that interest given their deep pockets.

Financial Fair Play rules may limit Newcastle's ability to land Mount having spent £165million this season on Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sven Botman and others.

ROUND-UP

– The Sun claims Arsenal's top two priorities for the off-season are signing Napoli forward Victor Osimhen and West Ham United's Declan Rice. The Nigerian, who has interest from Manchester United too, wants to play in the Premier League one day.

– Arsenal, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool all retain interest in Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo despite penning a new deal until 2027 last week, claims Football Insider. According to the report, Brighton's asking price is upwards of £90m.

– Footmercato reports Real Madrid head of recruitment Juni Calafat met with Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham at a London hotel on Tuesday, as numerous clubs circle for the England international.

– Liverpool sent scouts to watch coveted Benfica defender Antonio Silva and midfielder Florentino Luis last Friday, claims 90min. Real Madrid have been linked with Silva, while Tottenham have a reported interest in the pair.

– Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham are all proactively keeping tabs on Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot's situation and availability, claims 90min.

– Bayern Munich will not sign Joao Cancelo permanently after this season, instead letting him return to Manchester City upon the conclusion of his loan spell, according to Calciomercato.

For Paris Saint-Germain, every new season brings a "this is it" feeling with regards to their Champions League hopes.

It's been the club's obsession ever since the Qatari state poured in their petrodollars back in 2011, and after a few years of building up a head of steam domestically, European success has been the chief aim.

Each pre-season sees the arrivals of new superstars, most years bring a new coach who has the ownership group's vain ambitions thrust upon their shoulders. The faces change, the goal doesn't – and neither, until now, has the ultimate destination.

Here we are in March 2023 and PSG still haven't won Europe's top prize. They find themselves 1-0 down after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich, meaning they need to win at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday.

It feels quite early in the season for such a talented group of players to find themselves in a "do or die" position, but that's the harsh reality.

This kind of situation is arguably the whole point of their vast spending, though: having the world-beaters who can almost single-handedly get you out of such a predicament. After all, a 1-0 deficit is hardly insurmountable.

Obviously, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi will be looked to as the keys to survival and progression. PSG's Qatari overlords might even go as far as saying they were brought to Paris to win the Champions League: that's their job.

Of course, their time together at the club has been blighted by speculation of a fractured relationship, partly due – apparently – to Messi being so close to Neymar, who Mbappe is also said to have become distanced from.

But we're not here to indulge those interested in the kind of juvenile nonsense pedalled by clickbait merchants who're obsessed with the pantomime vilification of anyone/anything.

In fact, there is plenty of evidence that Mbappe and Messi genuinely "get" each other on the pitch. Their 21 goal combinations since the start of last season is nine more than any other pairing across the top five leagues.

PSG's excellent 3-0 win over Marseille in Le Classique at the end of February was a prime example of them clearly having rapport. Both of Mbappe's goals were set up by Messi; Messi's goal was set up by Mbappe.

For the first, Messi spotted the devastating run of Mbappe, who applied a clinical finish. They then switched roles for 2-0, the World Cup winner left with a tap-in from his partner's brilliant low cross.

They finished Marseille off in style. Messi's scooped pass released Mbappe, and he emphatically volleyed home from a tight angle.

Granted, it takes more than one match to show a telepathic on-pitch relationship has formed. But them switching it on as a duo shouldn't be sniffed at, particularly in the Classique.

Some might argue the absence of Neymar helped, and will continue to be a positive for the rest of the season.

Neymar will not play again this term due to an ankle injury, in what has seemingly become par for the course for the Brazilian in Paris. By the end of the 2022-23 campaign, he'll have played just 48 per cent of his possible minutes in Ligue 1 since joining, and the highest proportion of league minutes he'll have racked up in a single season will be 54.4 per cent.

But does it matter?

Some will fairly point out Neymar's 34 goal involvements across all competitions this season is bettered only by Mbappe (37) and Erling Haaland (38), and level with Messi. This is true, but does he really carry the same importance as the other two? And, as a trio, are they really as lethal as you might expect them to be?

Since Messi joined, PSG actually have a better win percentage when one of their star trio isn't starting (69.4 per cent, compared to 64.7 per cent). Admittedly that's not a significant difference, but over the same period their win rate when Neymar isn't in the starting XI is 75.9 per cent and 63 per cent when he is.

By comparison, when one of Mbappe or Messi drop out of the line-up, PSG's win percentage falls from 72.9 to 60.

For all his talents, many don't think Neymar will be missed. Former France international Christophe Dugarry is among them.

"I'm happy for PSG that Neymar is injured. I think this is an incredible opportunity for [Christophe] Galtier. The team is much more balanced with five defenders and Mbappe and Messi up front," Dugarry told RMC Sport. 

"I can't watch [Neymar] anymore, I can't stand him anymore. I can't stand his dribbling and that attitude. I don't want to see him on the field anymore, I'm tired."

Proving Neymar's absence makes PSG better is arguably impossible, but Dugarry's comments do strike a chord when he speaks of balance – even Galtier accepts they will be more balanced without the Brazilian.

Galtier does not think it makes them a better team, but that balance is potentially more important at the moment, especially in Europe.

PSG are the only side left in the Champions League who haven't kept a clean sheet in the competition this season, and in all competitions they have only managed two shutouts since the World Cup.

Of course, the situation is slightly more nuanced than being a case of "getting rid of Neymar equals a good defence", but Julian Nagelsmann pinpointed PSG's strength.

"What we need is to prevent them from using their pace," he said. "In Ligue 1, they often defend deep and play on the counter-attack. If you give their attackers too much space and they can unleash their footballing qualities, it's incredibly difficult to defend."

When it comes to pace and speed on the attack, is Neymar really essential for that?

Maybe he was the missing piece all these years. Perhaps, had Neymar not been injured so often in the second half of the season, they'd have won the Champions League by now.

But given how much of the past six years Neymar's missed (52 per cent if you're counting…), it would almost be fitting if PSG went on to win the Champions League without him.

Ligue 1 strugglers Angers have parted company with coach Abdel Bouhazama after he seemingly downplayed the seriousness of sexual assault.

Angers are languishing at the bottom of Ligue 1, having taken just 10 points from 26 games this season.

They are 10 points from safety and have failed to win a top-flight game since September, losing 16 of their 18 games since then.

While Angers stated Bouhazama had left due to the poor results, he also departs under the shadow of damning comments made during a pre-match team talk ahead of Sunday's 5-0 defeat to Montpellier.

Bouhazama is said to have told his players "It's not that serious, we have all touched girls", as he aimed to justify Ilyes Chetti's inclusion in his starting XI.

Chetti has been charged with the sexual assault of a woman in a nightclub last year. He will appear in court in April.

On Tuesday, Angers confirmed they had agreed to Bouhazama's resignation. 

"The decision to resign was taken by him at the end of February after several disappointments on the sporting front," a club statement read. "In addition, a controversy arose on Monday after comments, taken out of context, made during the pre-match talk, were leaked to the local and national press.

"Faced with media pressure and in order to preserve the club's image and the serenity of the dressing room, Abdel Bouhazama announced to president Said Chabane that he had decided to leave his position as coach of the professional team. The president accepted the coach's decision.

"Angers unreservedly condemn the words spoken during the talk, even if they seem to be more clumsy than intended to trivialise a sexist remark.

"Moreover, the club does not accept any form of discrimination and condemns sexism and misogyny.

"Abdel Bouhazama has apologised to his colleagues, particularly female ones, and has therefore preferred to draw the consequences of both his record and his blunders."

Bouhazama took charge of Angers on an initial interim basis in November and was handed the job permanently during the World Cup break.