Football news - Kylian Mbappe scores brace to secure Paris Saint-Germain league win at Metz

PSG consigned Metz to their fifth consecutive defeat with a 3-1 victory away to them in Ligue 1.

Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for PSG only four minutes into the game thanks to him making a brilliant run beyond the defence to receive Ander Herrera’s pinpoint pass from deep, which he duly dispatched in the back of the net while on the move.

Metz offered very little during the first half and showed no signs of scoring, but they hit the ground running almost straight away in the second half with an equaliser against the run of play.

Farid Boulaya waltzed inside and floated a deep ball into the box that was met by a far post diving header from Fabien Centonze.

Just over ten minutes later Mbappe struck once more to put the Parisians back in the lead. He received a simple pass from Neymar and his powerful shot took the slightest deflection off Kiki Kouyate’s ankles on its way past the gloves of Alexandre Oukidja.

Substitute Mauro Icardi put the game to bed moments before full-time with an audacious panenka penalty after being brought down in the box by Dylan Bronn.

The win means PSG go top of Ligue 1 by two points ahead of Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg versus Man City, although second-place Lille do have a game in hand.

Les Grenats, on the other hand, plummet to tenth place and will look to end their poor form next Sunday away to Dijon.

The amount of criticism this season's PSG side and manager Mauricio Pochettino have received underlines their dominance over the past several years, especially considering they are still probably favourites for the Ligue 1 title.

While critics of the latter do seem particularly harsh as Pochettino has only been at the helm since January, the overall criticism is understandable given how regularly they have failed to impress even when they are winning.

Metz have not won a single game of football since 27th February and Monaco put a total of nine goals past them in their two matches at the start of this month, yet PSG somehow struggled to the win even despite Metz being very poor in the first half too.

Ultimately, individual brilliance from Mbappe and sometimes one or two others is what constantly seems to drag them over the line and you have to wonder when that good fortune will run out.

It was a predictably talismanic performance from Mbappe, who succeeded in carrying the team on his shoulders not for the first time this season. It is just a shame that him leaving the field due to injury casts a shadow over what was a brilliant outing from him. His influence was felt beyond goals too, with him creating a few chances and putting in the work defensively as well.

Metz: Oukidja 6, Bronn 5, Kouyate 6, Boye 6, Centonze 7, Maiga 6, Sarr 6, Angban 5, Delaine 6, Boulaya 8, Iseka 5...Subs: N'Doram 6, Niane 6, Udol N/A, Yade N/A, Vagner N/A

PSG: Navas 6, Kurzawa 6, Florenzi 6, Kimpembe 6, Kehrer 6, Verratti 9, Herrera 8, Paredes 7, Neymar 8, Mbappe 9, Sarabia 6...Subs: Bakker 6, Di Maria 6, Icardi 8, Draxler N/A

4' - GOAL!!! Just like that! Herrera's pass from deep finds Mbappe making a run beyond the defence, he brings it down on the run and hits the back of the net. 1-0 up already!

46' - GOAL!!! An equaliser out of nowhere! Boulaya cuts inside and sends a deep cross towards the back post, which is met by a diving header from Centonze. Metz are right back in this!

52' - SAVED!! Boulaya causes PSG problems again with a marauding run on the left before whipping in a delightful ball that somehow evades everyone apart from Sarr, who arrives late in the box to shoot through traffic. It's well saved by Navas though.

56' - SAVED!! Oukidja somehow manages to stop a near-certain goal by keeping out Paredes' close-range volley! Incredible save.

59' - GOAL!!! Don't make Mbappe angry or that'll happen! Neymar plays a simple pass to him and he strikes powerfully from outside of the box, with his shot taking a slight deflection off Kouyate's ankle to help it past the gloves of Oukidja.

81' - CLOSE!! Neymar puts Mbappe through on goal and he dinks it over the 'keeper. It's heading in 'til the onrushing Boulaya arrives to clear it off the line with a flick!

88' - IT'S A PENALTY!! Icardi chases a pass into the area and Bronn clumsily sends him down to give away a penalty.

89' - GOAL!!! Icardi makes it 3-1 and puts the game to bed with a cheeky panenka down the middle.