Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain made it five wins from six Ligue 1 games this season with a 3-0 win over 10-man Nantes on Saturday.
Mbappe put the champions ahead shortly before the midway point of the first half with his sixth league goal of the campaign, before Nantes wing-back Fabio received his marching orders for a high challenge.
The France international grabbed his second early in the second half, before Nuno Mendes added a third as Christophe Galtier's men wrapped up maximum points with the minimum of fuss.
The result meant PSG returned to the top of Ligue 1 after Marseille had briefly usurped them earlier in the day with victory over Auxerre, while Nantes remained in 10th.
Samuel Moutoussamy fired over for Nantes early on, while Danilo Pereira and Marquinhos went close at the other end as the visitors started to flex their muscles.
Mbappe then deservedly put PSG ahead in the 18th minute with a whipped effort past Alban Lafont after being played in by Lionel Messi at the end of an incisive counter-attacking move.
Nantes' task became significantly harder six minutes later when Fabio received a straight red card for an ugly lunge on Vitinha.
The game was effectively put out of their reach in the 54th minute when Mbappe prodded home from six yards after being picked out by Messi, the goal eventually given after a long VAR review for a possible offside.
Substitute Neymar inexplicably hit the post with the goal at his mercy, but his blushes were spared when Mendes fired in the rebound for his first PSG goal.
What does it mean? Nantes blown away by relentless champions
Nantes kept PSG at bay for 18 minutes, yet as soon as Mbappe superbly finished off a flowing move there was only going to be one winner.
The result means PSG have now won seven of their past eight Ligue 1 away games, scoring a whopping 34 goals and conceding just five in that time.
Magnificent Messi
Mbappe will get the headlines after his brace, but Messi was at his unplayable best here.
The Argentina maestro laid on both of Mbappe's goals from two of his three key passes – a total not bettered by anyone on the pitch.
Foolish Fabio
Nantes were already 1-0 down when Fabio raked his studs down Vitinha's leg and any hopes they had of getting back into the game were vanquished with his dismissal.
Boss Antoine Kombouare will not be pleased with the former Manchester United man's recklessness.
What's next?
Both sides are in European action in midweek, with PSG starting their Champions League campaign at home to Juventus on Tuesday and Nantes hosting Olympiacos in the Europa League two days later.
Reims striker Balogun backs himself for Olympic appearance
Reims striker Folarin Balogun may have been overlooked by England boss Gareth Southgate, but he believes he could have an international career outside of football.
The Arsenal loanee has been in blistering form this season, scoring 17 goals in 27 Ligue 1 appearances, and has been a regular for the Three Lions' under-21 side.
Such form has led to calls he should be promoted to the senior squad, particularly given the fight for his international allegiance is fierce as Balogun is also eligible for the United States and Nigeria.
Southgate did not heed those calls, however, instead opting to select Brentford's Ivan Toney as understudy to captain Harry Kane.
Whether Balogun will get his chance in the near future remains to be seen but he has revealed he fancies his chances of featuring at the Olympics in table tennis.
"I'm very, very good at ping pong. We have one [a table] here and honestly, I think I could play it at Olympic level," he told Sky Sports.
"I'm honestly that good, I've made a lot of money with a few bets, but yeah, I'm really, really good."
Balogun could find inspiration from others who have competed in other sports outside of football, including former Arsenal and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, who plays semi-professional ice hockey in England.
Sevilla appoint Mendilibar after sacking Sampaoli
Sevilla have confirmed the appointment of Jose Luis Mendilibar as coach on a short-term contract after sacking Jorge Sampaoli.
A dismal run of form has seen Sevilla lose four of their last seven LaLiga games and they sit just two points above the relegation zone.
Sampaoli's second spell at the club came to an end on Tuesday following a 2-0 defeat at Getafe, which proved the final straw.
The Argentine replaced Julen Lopetegui in October but managed just six wins out of 19 LaLiga matches in charge, although he did lead Sevilla into the Europa League quarter-finals.
Sevilla moved quickly to confirm a replacement, with former Real Valladolid, Alaves and Eibar boss Mendilibar drafted in on a contract until June 30.
His first match in charge will be after the international break, with Sevilla visiting fellow strugglers Cadiz. They then host Celta Vigo on April 7 before travelling to Old Trafford for the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Manchester United six days later.
Mendilibar has overseen 448 LaLiga games as a coach, winning 128 and losing 195.
Neville keen for new stadium as deadline for Man Utd takeover bids approaches
Gary Neville is keen for Manchester United to have a new home, telling prospective bidders to modernise the club.
The Glazer family's tenure in charge at Old Trafford could be nearing a conclusion, having announced in November that they were exploring options for a sale.
Last week saw visits to the club from Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani's delegation and Jim Ratcliffe, both of whom are the running for a potential takeover – though there could be as many as eight bidders.
Former United captain Neville is keen for whoever takes charge to invest significantly in the club's infrastructure, including the construction of a new stadium.
"I think we've got to make sure that whoever the new owners are in the next few months, that they harness what the club's history is about, and also take Manchester United forward into a modern era," he told ITV News.
"You look back at the past in terms of what we are and what we should be, but also I think we need to be a modern football club, with a new stadium, a new infrastructure.
"The training ground needs to be brought up to speed and the sporting project needs to be world class.
"And there needs to be that feeling among the fans again, that everyone's aligned on the same page - they haven't had that for the last eight-to-10-years."
While United are perceived to have fallen behind to their rivals off the field, significant gains have been made under the stewardship of Erik ten Hag.
The Dutch boss guided United to League Cup glory in February, the club's first trophy since 2017, with further honours up for grabs with the campaign in the FA Cup and Europa League continuing.
Those improvements have impressed Neville, who added: "I think the thing about Manchester United for me is that the football can never be boring.
"You always have to go to a game feeling that you're going to see something exciting.
"The lads that wear those shirts out on the pitch, they have to look like they're engaged and they've got a spirit and they want to be here.
"You think about how bad it was at the end of last season to what it is now - a huge turnaround."
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