Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Montpellier v Paris St Germain - Stade de la Mosson, Montpellier, France - March 17, 2024 Paris St Germain's Kylian Mbappe in action REUTERS/Stephane Mahe
MONTPELLIER, France (Reuters) -Kylian Mbappe scored his second hat-trick in Ligue 1 this season as leaders Paris St Germain won 6-2 at Montpellier on Sunday, securing their first league win in four matches.
PSG, with 59 points from 26 matches, extended their lead at the top over Brest to 12 points while Montpellier, with 26 points, remain one point above the relegation playoff spot. Brest were earlier held 1-1 at home by Lille.
The visitors took the lead in the 14th minute when Mbappe found Vitinha with a cross from the left after taking a short corner. The Portugal international evaded two defenders before curling the ball home right-footed from the edge of the box.
Mbappe, in his 200th league match for PSG, got on the scoresheet eight minutes later, playing a one-two with Randal Kolo Muani and finishing with his left foot from a difficult angle.
But Montpellier struck back on the half-hour mark with Jordan Ferri's cross from the left eventually falling to Arnaud Nordin inside the box, who headed it in from close range.
The hosts equalised just before halftime when PSG keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma conceded a penalty after colliding with Tanguy Coulibaly inside the box. Montpellier captain Teji Savanier converted the spot kick, sending Donnarumma the wrong way.
But parity was short-lived as Mbappe struck again five minutes into the second half, with his right-footed shot from outside the box hitting the woodwork before finding the net.
PSG extended their lead in the 53rd minute when Lee Kang-in, who scored in the reverse fixture in November, netted his second league goal for the club with a left-footed finish from outside the box, as Muani got his second assist of the match.
Mbappe completed his hat-trick 10 minutes later from Vitinha's lofted through ball, his 250th goal for the club in all competitions that took his league tally in the campaign to 24 from 24 appearances.
The France international, who is set to leave PSG in the close-season, has scored 38 goals in all competitions this campaign from 37 appearances.
Nuno Mendes wrapped up the scoring for PSG when his left-footed effort from outside the box found the net in the 89th minute.
"I'm a lucky guy," manager Luis Enrique told Prime Video. "Because I have unbelievable players with enormous quality and the spirit... to fight for every single game.
"We want to win the championship as quickly as possible."
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris and Toby Davis)
