Mbappe and Neymar score as PSG beats Lille for 12th win
PARIS — Kylian Mbappe scored a spectacular goal and then set up Neymar as runaway French league leader Paris Saint-Germain won at home to second-place Lille 2-1 on Friday.
PSG’s 12th straight win from the start of the season is a record for the top five European leagues, beating Tottenham’s 11 opening wins in 1960 in England.
PSG coach Thomas Tuchel picked midfielder Marco Verratti, who was stopped by police this week for driving over the alcohol limit.
Verratti helped to create Mbappe’s goal in the 70th minute, threading a quick pass to Neymar who then picked out Mbappe’s run.
The France World Cup star was slightly fortunate as Neymar’s pass clipped the leg of a defender and rolled to him, but he finished exquisitely by curling the ball into the bottom right corner from about 20 metres.
Even though the 19-year-old Mbappe has played in only seven of PSG’s league games, he is already on a league-leading 11 goals.
He flicked the ball to Neymar in the 84th, and the Brazil forward advanced past three players before his slightly deflected shot from near the edge of the area went in.
Lille striker Nicolas Pepe confidently struck a penalty past veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon in the third minute of injury time for 2-1.
While defending champion PSG is coasting in Ligue 1 and guaranteed to be 11 points clear after this weekend, it is having a much harder time in the Champions League.
PSG travels to play Napoli on Tuesday under big pressure after picking up four points from the first three group games.
Tuchel left out striker Edinson Cavani altogether against Lille, with a view to starting him against his former side on Tuesday.
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