PSG move 13 points clear at top of Ligue 1 with two games in hand after win at Amiens

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN shrugged off the absence of Neymar to move 13 points clear at the top of the league with a 3-0 win over Amiens.

Brazilian star Neymar, linked with a return to Barcelona in the build-up to the match, was left out after being given two days off for extra rest.

Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe were both in the goals as PSG won again

And that decision by boss Thomas Tuchel was vindicated as his side turned on the burners in the second half to cruise to yet another win.

PSG’s victory mean they made it to 50 points this season after just 18 matches – and Tuchel’s side are still unbeaten.

Nearest challengers Lille are 13 points behind, having played two games more, and the defending giants now boast a goal difference of plus 43.

Julian Draxler was the first to test Regis Gurtner, firing straight at the keeper after eight minutes, with Cavani then going close with a follow-up attempt.

Mbappe doubled the lead for PSG as they continued their dominance of Ligue 1

Marquinhos added a third late on as PSG moved 13 points clear at the top of the table

PSG were coming forward in waves, with Angel Di Maria sending a shot high and wide before Mbappe forced another save out of the keeper.

It was one-way traffic throughout the half, but after Marquinhos headed over from a late corner, the sides went in still level at the break.

Despite PSG’s complete domination of possession, Amiens provided dogged resistance until the 57th minute when Edinson Cavani finally broke the deadlock from the penalty spot.

Alexis Blin was penalised for a handball in the area and Cavani slotted the spot-kick into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

Amiens had little chance to recover before they were down to 10 men, with Abdul Adenon bringing down Kylian Mbappe to earn his second yellow card.

From then on, there was no doubt about the outcome.

Further punishment was quick to follow with Mbappe doubling the lead four minutes later, teed up by Cavani as PSG hit Amiens on the break.

For all the resistance they had shown in the first half, Amiens were completely overrun once a man down, and Marquinhos added a third in the 79th minute when he headed home from Julian Draxler’s corner.

Dani Alves and Cavani had late chances to add to the lead, but it would have been little more than window-dressing with the three points already secured.