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Kylian Mbappe brilliantly scored a penalty but got the opener as champions Paris Saint-Germain beat pulsating Strasbourg 2-1 in Ligue 1 on Friday.
PSG now have 47 points from 20 games with second placed Nice taking on third placed Brest Sunday on 38 and 35 points respectively.
“They put us under a lot of pressure, we weren’t accurate enough, but we played a smart game against an opponent who had intelligent momentum and had nothing to lose,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said.
Patrick Vieira’s Alsace club flew out of the blocks and Gianluigi Donnarumma stopped a shot with his shoulder inside the first minute.
And on his Ligue 1 debut with Strasbourg, 22-year-old goalkeeper Alaa Bellaarouch saved Mbappe’s well-executed penalty in the 5th minute to allow the superstar striker to hold off his header.
Mbappe, however, scored his 20th league goal of the campaign by hitting the ball into a gap after a panicked clearance from the rookie goalkeeper.
Mbappe was then a supplier at the start of the second half with a deft cross finished off clinically by Marco Asensio.
The Strasbourg youngster responded when a cross found Dilane Bakwa at the far post and the 21-year-old striker’s cold shot left Donnarumma with no chance.
Bakwa fired over the bar from a similar position with ten minutes remaining, with PSG coach Luis Enrique worried from the bench.
Former France captain Vieira revealed his “frustration” and was booked for arguing with the referee.
“But I’m satisfied with the performance, we gave them a lot of problems, we played with character,” he said.
“We created some attractive chances, but we wasted the few chances we had. “
There is no repeat of PSG, who squandered a two-goal lead in a home draw against Brest last Sunday, despite home fans cheering on their team at a raucous Stade de los Angeles Meinau.
Strasbourg sits in the middle of the table with 25 draws in 20 games, after a match in which the visitors eventually dominated.
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