PSG crush Monaco to reclaim French title
AFP
AFP, PARIS: Angel Di Maria and Giovani Lo Celso scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain secured a fifth Ligue 1 title in six seasons on Sunday with a 7-1 rout of last years champions Monaco.
Unai Emerys team blew Monaco away in a first-half blitz that saw PSG score four times in 14 minutes at the Parc des Princes with Lo Celso striking either side of goals from Edinson Cavani and Di Maria.
Rony Lopes pulled a goal back for Monaco as he scored for the eighth game in a row, but Di Maria added a fifth before Radamel Falcao turned into his own net and Julian Draxler struck late on as PSG romped to the clubs seventh championship.
With a fifth successive League Cup already won, PSG completed the second leg of a domestic treble -- they are also through to the French Cup semi-finals -- and could yet break their record 96-point haul from the 2015-16 campaign.
PSG also became the first team in Europes top leagues this season to reach 100 goals on a night they were without the injured Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the teenager left on the bench after a bout of illness.
Monaco arrived in Paris unbeaten on their last eight league visits to the capital but any prospect of them prolonging PSGs wait for the title quickly eroded.
Javier Pastore supplied Lo Celso to head in PSGs fourth on 28 minutes and Monaco suffered further misfortune when France international Djibril Sidibe was stretchered off with a leg injury, a worrying sign for both club and country ahead of the World Cup.
Monaco briefly held up the onslaught as Lopes turned home an Almamy Toure cross seven minutes before half-time for the in-form Portugal internationals 13th goal this term.
But PSG continued to attack at will and Pastores assist for Di Maria allowed the winger to grab his second of the game on 59 minutes.
The hosts were gifted another when Falcaos attempt to clear a corner went horribly wrong, summing up Monacos misery as the ball looped beyond Subasic on 77 minutes.
Germany international Draxler rounded out the demolition, firing home via a deflection as PSG clinched the title at home for the first since 1994 while shattering Monacos 17-match unbeaten run.
Earlier, Florian Thauvin struck a late winner as Marseille twice came from behind to beat struggling Troyes 3-2 and stay in the hunt for a Champions League place.
Marseille were reeling after Samuel Grandsir headed Troyes ahead with just 37 seconds gone at the Stade de lAube, but Clinton Njies scuffed effort soon pulled the visitors level.
The 41-year-old Benjamin Nivet fired Troyes back in front just after half-time as the veteran skipper followed up a rebound after Yohann Pele had saved from Grandsir.
But a clinical finish from Greece striker Kostas Mitroglou made it 2-2 with quarter of an hour to play, and Thauvin volleyed home his team-leading 17th league goal on 86 minutes to cap a dramatic victory.
Rudi Garcias Marseille remain level on points with third-placed Lyon, who occupy the final Champions League spot, while Monaco are four points ahead of the chasing duo.
