Vitinha put PSG ahead at the Stade de la Mosson and Mbappe doubled their advantage midway through the first half, only for an Arnaud Nordin header and a Teji Savanier penalty to bring Montpellier back level at the interval. However, a marvellous Mbappe goal restored PSG's lead shortly after the break and Lee Kang-in made it 4-2 before the France captain completed his hat-trick.

Nuno Mendes put the seal on the victory late on, as Luis Enrique's side ended a run of three successive draws in Ligue 1 and extended an unbeaten domestic record stretching back to September. A 1-1 draw for nearest challengers Brest against Lille earlier on Sunday means the Parisians are now 12 points ahead at the Ligue 1 summit with only eight games left, and a 10th title in 12 seasons is an inevitability.

Mbappe completed the whole 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 game for the first time since informing the club in mid-February that he intended to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires. His hat-trick, his third of the campaign, took him to 24 goals in Ligue 1 this season, and 38 in all competitions.

Portugal midfielder Vitinha opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting Mbappe's pass 25 metres from goal before curling a low shot into the bottom-right corner. Mbappe then made it 2-0 on the counterattack, feeding Randal Kolo Muani and then sprinting to get the ball back and slot into the far corner from a tight angle.

March 17, 2024

Montpellier got one back when Danilo Pereira could only help on a cross from the left and Nordin - a friend of Mbappe's as a youngster at Clairefontaine, France's national youth academy - headed in at the back post. The home side then won a penalty right on half-time when Tanguy Coulibaly pounced on Pereira's short back-pass before being clattered by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Teji Savanier smashed in the spot-kick, but PSG were back ahead five minutes after the restart as Mbappe scored with a superb shot from range, in off the underside of the crossbar. South Korean star Lee made it 4-2 on 53 minutes, playing a one-two with Kolo Muani and firing in from outside the area on his left foot.

Mbappe then completed his hat-trick with a right-foot finish after latching onto a ball over the top, before Montpellier had a second penalty award overturned following a VAR review. Warren Zaire-Emery hit the post for the visitors, and Mendes made it 6-2 a minute from time, bursting into the box to run onto a Vitinha pass and fire in.

Arnaud Nordin

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