Football news - PSG thrash Marseille in Le Classique

Paris St Germain moved eight points clear at the top of Ligue 1 after a devastating first-half performance that destroyed Marseille in Le Classique.

Mauro Icardi and Kylian Mbappe both scored twice as the hosts tore through Marseille in the opening 45 minutes.

A lack of pressure on Angel Di Maria and Marco Veratti in the middle of the pitch allowed them to look up and slide in the two forwards almost at will.

The match was effectively over as a contest after 32 minutes and then as a spectacle at half-time.

The record Le Classique victory was there for the taking but Thomas Tuchel’s team notably stepped off in a second half as stultifying as the first had been spectacular.

Marseille managed to save some face with a more spirited effort in the second half but have a lot of work to do to improve enough to take one of the three Champions League spots available.

The first of those looks certain to be taken by Paris St Germain, who once again proved they are a class apart in this league.

10’ GOAL! Paris St Germain 1 (Icardi 10) Marseille 0 Di Maria beats his man on the right and hooks a cross to the back post. Icardi rises to head at goal. Mandanda stops it, but the rebound falls directly back to Icardi who hooks it into the net.

23’ HUGE CHANCE! A loose ball breaks to Mbappe, who plays an absurdly brilliant back heel to Icardi that cuts out through Marseille defence incisively. Icardi takes a touch and shoots, but Mandanda is out to block and parry the ball away.

26’ GOAL! Paris St Germain 2 (Icardi 26) Marseille 0 He's got another! PSG work some neat triangles on the right and eventually work it infield to Veratti. He clips a cute ball over the top of the defence and into the area. Icardi, barely inside, races in to glance a header past the stranded Mandanda to give PSG a two-goal lead.

32’ GOAL! Paris St Germain 3 (Mbappe 32) Marseille 0 It's three! This has not so much been in the post but sent by courier. A clipped ball from Veratti releases Di Maria down the inside right channel. His cross is perfect as it cuts out Mandanda and arrives at the back post for Mbappe to tap it over the line from two yards out. This is rout, and quite awesome from the home side.

44’ GOAL! Paris St Germain 4 (Mbappe 44) Marseille 0 He's done it again! This is brilliant from PSG. They play out precariously from back through Navas, but eventually find Veratti. He shifts it on to Di Maria in the centre-circle, who curls a through pass to Mbappe with the outside of his foot that splits Marseille wide open. Mbappe races onto it, sets it with one touch and shoots through Mandanda. The goalkeeper got a hand on it and should have saved it, but that was a stunning move.

86’ CHANCE FOR MARSEILLE! PSG are a bit too cocky playing out from the back and a stray pass falls to Ake. From around the penalty spot, the young striker wallops a shot on the turn that flies just past the post.

Can anyone keep pace with Paris St Germain this season? This victory in Le Classique put the champions eight points clear at the top of Ligue 1, and we are not yet out of October. They won the 2017-18 Ligue 1 title by 13 points and in 2018-19 their winning margin was 16 points. It’s been the circular question in French football for several years, but can any other team in France possibly put a run together to make a race of this?

There were several outstanding performances from Paris St Germain in the first half but, with all due respect to the excellent Veratti, Icardi and Di Maria, they did not palpably shimmer with the same menace as the outstanding Mbappe. He followed up his hat-trick against Club Brugge on Tuesday with another two goals here and provided the best touch of skill in the whole game – a sumptuous back heel that split the Marseille defence and put Icardi in on goal. More confirmation, as if we needed it, that this is one of the most devastating talents in world football.

Paris St Germain (4-4-2): Navas 6; Dagba 7, Silva 6, Kimpembe 7, Bernat 6; Marquinhos 7, Herrera 6, Veratti 7; Di Maria 7, Mbappe 8, Icardi 7

SUBS: Cavani 6, Sarabia 6, Paredes 6

Marseille (4-3-3): Mandanda 6; Sarr 6, Caleta-Car 5, Kamara 5, Sakai 6; Strootman 5, Rongier 6, Lopez 5; Payet 6, Benedetto 5, Germain 6

SUBS: Sanson 6, Amavi 6, Ake 6