Mbappe comes off hurt as PSG demolish Marseille

Mbappe appeared to hurt his ankle in winning the free-kick which saw Achraf Hakimi put PSG ahead in the eighth minute at the Parc des Princes. The France superstar was eventually replaced just after the half-hour mark, but the home side went on to double their lead before the break through Randal Kolo Muani.

Ramos then headed in the home side's third goal just after half-time and completed the rout late on as PSG followed up their 2-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League in midweek. The win leaves Luis Enrique's team in fourth place after six games, two points behind surprise leaders Brest, who beat Lyon 1-0 on Saturday.

Marseille had started the day unbeaten and were above PSG in the table, but they were outclassed here at the end of a turbulent week for the 1993 Champions League winners. Their coach Marcelino Garcia Toral resigned on Wednesday after only seven games at the helm and following an angry meeting between club officials and fan representatives.

Marseille president Pablo Longoria and several senior colleagues opted not to travel to Amsterdam for Thursday's 3-3 draw with Ajax in the Europa League amid doubt as to whether they would carry on. However, Longoria has since decided to stay and was in Paris for Sunday's game in which former player Jacques Abardonado took interim charge of the team. Also in attendance in the French capital was Selena Gomez, who may have been hoping to see Mbappe play a more prominent role than he ultimately did.

Hakimi stars

The forward had scored eight goals in five games this season before Sunday, when he appeared to turn his left ankle in an early tangle of legs with Leonardo Balerdi just outside the Marseille box. A foul was given and Hakimi scored with a stunning strike from the resulting free-kick as he continued his fine start to the campaign.

Clearly in some discomfort, Mbappe twice came off for treatment before eventually giving up in the 31st minute to be replaced by Ramos. Marseille might have equalised midway through the first half but Vitinha headed an inviting cross by Jonathan Clauss off the bar and over.

Instead PSG scored again on 37 minutes when a long-range Hakimi shot took a deflection and hit the post before ricocheting off goalkeeper Pau Lopez and falling for Kolo Muani to score. It was his first goal since signing for his hometown team from Eintracht Frankfurt on transfer deadline day at the beginning of the month. Portugal forward Ramos then joined in after the break, scoring his first two goals since signing from Benfica.

Ramos arrived at the near post to head in Ousmane Dembele's right-wing cross just over a minute into the second half. And he netted again with a minute left, finishing off Kolo Muani's low centre at the end of a counter-attack.

 

September 24, 2023