Paris Saint-Germain keep Ligue 1 title hopes alive with comfortable home victory over Reims

Paris Saint-Germain ensured the quest for the Ligue 1 title will go down to the final day with the most comfortable of 4-0 victories over Reims.

The match was effectively over in the 12th minute when Yunis Abdelhamid was unlucky to be sent off for, seemingly inadvertently, handling a goalbound effort from Kylian Mbappe after the striker had latched onto Angel Di Maria's pass and rounded the goalkeeper, leading to Neymar stroking his penalty home in the most casual manner.

In the 24th minute calamitous defending from Thomas Foket gifted a second as his pass across his own six-yard box was met by Mbappe and nudged home.

After many chances were spurned skipper Marquinhos headed home Neymar's corner midway through the second half and Moise Kean added a fourth in stoppage time.

With Lille only managing a draw, PSG close to within a point of Les Dogues ahead of next Sunday's Ligue 1 finale.

The Real Madrid sides of the 1950s and 2000s had the edge on this PSG side in terms of quality as did Barcelona’s a decade ago but for all their flair with the odd exception they worked hard and certainly cannot compare to this side for party tricks.

Though footage of them is sketchy, the Millonarios side led by Alfredo di Stefano in the 'El Dorado' period of Colombian football, who were known as the Blue Ballet and cruelly toyed with their overmatched opponents, may be the closest comparison to this Parisian outfit who are incredibly entertaining, with scoops, flicks and tricks aplenty in the last third from Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria.

And when a chance comes their way scoring doesn't seem enough, they endeavour to put it away with panache, shown by Neymar rolling his penalty home so slowly the goalkeeper could almost have got up and ran across to stop the ball.

Similarly when chances fell to Mbappe he almost looked like he had to show scoring was art by throwing a foot at the ball or attempting an audacious chip.

It is easy to take him for granted, and he can be incredibly frustrating, but what a pleasure it is to watch him play.

His backheel to set up Mbappe would have been a highlight-reel goal if the Frenchman hadn’t been wasteful from eight yards.

Similarly, he almost forged a wonderful shooting opportunity out of a crowded penalty area – one suspects just because it seemed so difficult – only for Marshall Munetsi to take the ball and him with a goal-saving challenge.

He also set up a number of opportunities for his team-mates as well as scoring and setting up a goal.

PSG: Navas 7; Dagba 7, Kehrer 7, Marquinhos 7, Bakker 6; Pereira 6, Herrera 7; Di Maria 8, Neymar 9*, Draxler 6, Mbappe 7.

Subs: Rafinha 6, Sarabia 6, Paredes 6, Kean 7.

Reims: Rajkovic 5; Foket 5, Faes 6, Abdelhamid 5, Konan 6; Cassama 6; Cafaro 6, Munetsi 7, Chavalerin 6, Mbuku 7; Dia 6.

Subs: Zeneli 6, Toure 6, Kutesa 6.

11’ A penalty is given! And a red card....the sending off is harsh. Di Maria slipped in Mbappe who goes around the goalkeeper and shoots towards goal. Abdelhamid slides to try to stop the goal but the touch with his hand looked inadvertent.

12' GOAL FOR PSG! Neymar waits for the keeper to dive to his right then rolled the ball gently to the other side.

24' GOAL FOR PSG! Foket plays the ball across his own six-yard box and Mbappe nips in front of Faes to steer home. Madness!

68' GOAL FOR PSG! Neymar curls an inswinging corner to the six-yard box where Marquinhos heads down into the net.

90' GOAL FOR PSG! Kean on the turn shoots with his left foot unerringly into the corner past Rajkovic.