PSG on brink of French title after beating Marseille

PARIS: A Kylian Mbappe penalty proved decisive as Paris Saint-Germain beat bitter rivals Marseille 2-1 on Sunday, meaning they could clinch the Ligue 1 title this week.

Mbappe converted from the spot in first-half stoppage time after the referee awarded a penalty for handball on a VAR review, restoring PSG’s lead following Neymar’s early opener and a Duje Caleta-Car equaliser.

PSG are 15 points clear of second-placed Marseille with six games remaining and Mauricio Pochettino’s side — who also have a far superior goal difference — stand poised to reclaim the trophy they relinquished to Lille last season.

If Marseille fail to beat Nantes on Wednesday then PSG can clinch their eighth Ligue 1 title in 10 seasons if they have a better result against Angers at the same time. Despite the apparently high stakes for the biggest fixture in French football, there was a distinctly flat atmosphere at the Parc des Princes.

Authorities banned Marseille fans from the game over concerns of possible violence, a recurring them in France in recent months. Meanwhile PSG ‘ultras’, the most vocal members of their support, have decided to stay silent until the end of the season in protest at the club’s management and at results in a campaign marked by the Champions League last-16 exit to Real Madrid.

In any case, a record-equalling 10th French championship in their history has never really been in doubt for PSG, even before their current run of three straight wins in which Neymar and Mbappe have each scored six times. “We always want to see our supporters transmit their energy and make it a spectacle,” admitted Pochettino.