Stars Paris Saint-Germain came off their last pre-World Cup match well, with French star Kylian Mbappé opening the scoring in a 5-0 defeat of the unbeaten French leaders on Sunday.
Argentine star Lionel Messi, Brazilian Neymar and Mbappé started against Auxerre in a win that kept PSG five points behind their immediate rivals Lens.
Messi and Neymar were replaced with 15 minutes remaining. Mbappé played the whole match, despite having to withdraw at the end of last weekend’s game due to muscle strain.
Mbappé will join the reigning world champions France squad on Monday before their trip to Qatar on Wednesday.
“Once my players finished the match, I was concerned with dosing them,” said PSG coach Christophe Galthier. “I made the changes to take care of them.”
PSG have rested Brazilian defender Marquinhos with a muscle ailment.
The PSG players kept their foot off the accelerator against Auxerre, despite injury fears, and took the lead after 10 minutes.
Messi lobbed a high pass to Portuguese defender Nuno Mendes down the left, and was volleyed into the back of the net by Mbappé – his 12th goal of the season, netting the most goals in the league.
The goal had to be confirmed by video officiating, as Neymar appeared to have ball in hand in the Auxerre box.
Carlos Soler made it 2-0 from a pass from Mendes and Achraf Hakimi added the third shortly after.
Hakimi, one of the key players in the Moroccan squad at the World Cup, dominated a pass from Soler and the right-back burst out of midfield to beat goalkeeper Benoit Costil.
Midfielder Soler, a member of Spain’s World Cup squad, was substituted during the match. Messi hit the post shortly after with a lap shot.
French centre-back Presnel Kimpembe, with just an hour on the game since injuring his hamstring on 18 September, started the match on the substitutes bench and came on for the last 15 minutes.
Attacking midfielder Renato Sanches added the fourth goal to 81 and Hugo Ekitike put the final figures to 84.
MARSEILLE TAME MONACO
In a dramatic finale, defender Sead Kolasinac scored in the eighth minute of stoppage time as Olympique de Marseille won 3-2 at Monaco. Fourth in the standings, Marseille are one point behind third-placed Rennes. Monaco fell to the sixth step.
Experienced Chilean striker Alexis Sánchez gave Marseille the lead with a 35th-minute free-kick.
Furthermore, Nigerian striker Terem Moffi scored his tenth goal of the season as fifth-placed Loriente drew 1-1 with Strasbourg. The home side saved the tie with Habib Diallo’s goal in the 87th minute.
