Thauvin strikes hat-trick as Marseille thump Metz 6-3

Thauvin found the back of the net both sides of the interval and Morgan Sanson, Valere Germain and Konstantinos Mitroglou also scored to put OM on 51 points from 24 games, eight points behind pacesetters Paris St Germain who travel to Lille on Saturday.

Metz replied through Florent Mollet twice and Ibrahima Niane late in the second half but stayed at the bottom of the standings on 18 points, seven points from safety.

Sanson put the hosts ahead after six minutes with a goal from close range and midfielder Thauvin doubled the tally two minutes later with a fine volley.

Thauvin made it 3-0 on the stroke of halftime from point blank range as Marseille were rewarded for their total domination.

Germain latched onto Thauvin's cross to make it 4-0 four minutes into the second half, before Thauvin added another one from Dimitri Payet's cross before the hour.

Mollet pulled one back before Mitroglou restored a five-goal lead for the hosts.

Mollet and Niane reduced the arrears in the closing stages. (Reporting by Julien Pretot, editing by Pritha Sarkar)