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PSG cruise past Marseille, Messi joins 700 club

Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi played a starring role as Paris Saint-Germain defeated rivals Olympique Marseille on Sunday night.

Messi, whose delightful free-kick ended PSG's three-match losing run last time out, started alongside Kylian Mbappe while Nuno Mendes was back in the starting eleven.

The league leaders were forced into a substitution after just 13 minutes with Presnel Kimpembe unable to continue after sustaining a knock, as Danilo Pereira came on in his place.

PSG still showed dominance and hit the front 12 minutes later when Mbappe left the defence in their wake from Messi's through pass and dispatched beyond Pau Lopez.

The two combined again on the half-hour mark in which Mbappe set-up Messi with a nutmegged pass before the Argentine tapped in from a few distances out for his 700th club career goal.

Messi should've completed a first-half double three minutes later with a shot from a few yards out after a loose ball around the area, but the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner missed target.

Marseille's first meaningful scare came seconds ahead of halftime through a free-kick from Alexis Sanchez, but PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma tipped the effort away.

The visitors extended their tally ten minutes after the break when Messi again picked out Mbappe with a ball to the shoulder of the area and the Frenchman brought it in his stride and volleyed in.

At this point and granted the ascendancy, PSG decided to haul in young Warren-Zaire Emery from the substitutes bench and removed Nordi Mukiele from the left flank.

Sanchez went close again for Marseille a little later with a header from a corner, but Donnarumma again smothered the former Arsenal star as time began to wind down.

PSG were able to see out the closing stages with relative ease as the title holders clinched a comprehensive victory and moved eight points clear at the top of the table.

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