Paris Saint-Germain secured a 3-1 victory over Le Mans on Saturday, extending their winning run as they prepare for a challenging Champions League trip to Manchester City next week.
PSG recorded their third consecutive win following a sluggish start to the season, despite leaving several key players out of the starting lineup.
Centre-back Lucas Beraldo opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the first half, but Louis Mafouta restored parity for Le Mans nine minutes into the second half at the Parc des Princes.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who began the match on the bench, restored PSG’s lead in the 61st minute, just two minutes after coming on as a substitute. Maghnes Akliouche then sealed the victory seven minutes later.
The result lifted PSG to fifth place in the standings ahead of Wednesday’s trip to face Manchester City, who are dealing with the fallout from being found guilty of dozens of Premier League spending infractions.
Meanwhile, Monaco missed the opportunity to establish a two-point advantage at the top of the table after settling for a 2-2 home draw against Toulouse.
They now hold a one-point lead over Lille, who claimed a narrow 1-0 home victory against Le Havre.