Beat Nantes 3-1, PSG Top The French League Standings

Paris Saint-Germain superstar Lionel Messi (right) celebrates a goal (Photo: ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Paris Saint-Germain managed to beat Nantes 3-1 even though they had to finish the match of Week 14 of the French League with only ten players at the Parc des Princes Stadium, Saturday local time (Sunday WIB). This result brings PSG to the top of the French League standings with a collection of 37 points.

They stretched the distance to 13 points with Lens as the second occupant of the ladder. Kylian Mbappe put PSG in front with a quick goal just two minutes after the opening whistle by finishing off Leandro Paredes' pass.

However, Mauricio Pochettino's side lost goalkeeper Keylor Navas who received a straight red card in the 65th minute when he brought down Ludovic Blas who tried to continue Nantes' counter-attack.

Pochettino immediately responded to this by entering substitute goalkeeper Sergio Rico and sacrificing Neymar who was withdrawn.

Rico saved Blas's shot in the 70th minute but six minutes later he failed to fully anticipate Randal Kolo Muani's header and the ball was thrown straight with the heel by the Nantes striker to make it 1-1.

Before the cheers from the visitors' fans subsided, PSG even managed to restore their lead in the 81st minute, with Dennis Appiah's own goal trying to cut through Lionel Messi's breakthrough pass.

Six minutes later, Messi finally opened the scoring in Ligue 1 with La Pulga's signature curling shot from Mbappe's cross to seal PSG's 3-1 win over Nantes.

The victory solidified PSG's position at the top of the French League standings with 37 points, while Nantes (18) was stuck in 11th place after being overtaken by AS Monaco (19) yesterday, according to the official French League website.

PSG will next travel to Geoffroy Guichard Stadium to face AS Saint-Etienne on Sunday, November 28 next week, a day after Nantes visited defending champions Lille.

But before that, PSG will first fly to England against Manchester City in the Champions League match on Wednesday, November 24.