Kylian Mbappe stepped off the bench to convert a penalty as Paris St Germain won 2-0 at Nantes to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1 to 14 points.

Mbappe, who told PSG on Friday of his intention to leave in the summer when his contract expires, struck his 21st league goal of the season from the spot after Lucas Hernandez had given his side a second-half lead.

Amid mounting speculation that Mbappe will join Real Madrid in time for next season, the 25-year-old, along with Ousmane Dembele and Achraf Hakimi, were left out of Luis Enrique’s starting line-up.

Mbappe, who started and scored in PSG’s 2-0 win against Real Sociedad in Wednesday night’s Champions League last-16 tie, was in dispute with his club over his contract last summer.

The France forward refused to sign a one-year extension clause and was subsequently exiled from the first-team squad, and left out of their pre-season tour to Asia.

But he was all smiles with boss Enrique as he waited to enter the action at the Stade de la Beaujoire just after Hernandez had broken the deadlock, and was handed the captain’s armband after going on.

At the end of a first half of few clear-cut chances, Nantes twice went close and had a goal ruled out for offside.

Hernandez’s last-ditch tackle thwarted Douglas Augusto and was deemed legitimate by VAR before Marquinhos blocked Nicolas Cozza’s shot after Gianluigi Donnarumma had saved Mostafa Mohamed’s effort.

Nantes thought they had broken the deadlock when defender Nicolas Pallois turned home a corner, but his effort was ruled out by the referee assistant’s flag.

Pallois’ dipping 30-yard volley was comfortably saved by Donnarumma early in the second half and PSG took the lead on the hour-mark through Hernandez’s deflected shot.

Mbappe, Dembele and Hakimi were all sent on by Enrique straight after Hernandez’s opener and the visitors put the result beyond Nantes with 12 minutes remaining.

Augusto tripped Mbappe in the penalty area and the France forward picked himself up to slam home the spot kick for his 26th goal in 28 appearances for his club in all competitions this season.

Nantes went close to a late consolation goal when Donnarumma pushed substitute Moses Simon’s effort on to a post as PSG extended their unbeaten league run to 17 matches.

Reggae Boyz striker Shamar Nicholson produced an excellent display to help Clermont Foot get a 2-1 win over Nantes in Ligue 1 action at the Stade de la Beaujoire on Sunday.

Nicholson first opened the scoring by capitalizing on a mistake from Nantes keeper Alban Lafont to slot home from just inside the box in the 29^th minute for his second goal in as many games.

Just after the second half resumption, Florent Mollet got the equalizer for Nantes before, in the 89^th minute, Nicholson provided the assist for the match-winning goal by Jim Allevinah.

Clermont are currently 17^th in the 18-team Ligue 1 table with 14 points from 18 games while Nantes are 13^th with 18 points from as many games.

Jonathan Humphreys says that Wales “cannot afford to go off-script” when they tackle Rugby World Cup opponents Georgia in Nantes on Saturday.

Wales need a point from their Pool C finale to win the group, having already secured a quarter-final place through beating Australia by a record 40-6 scoreline nine days ago.

They lost 13-12 at home to Georgia when the countries last met almost a year ago, and Wales assistant coach Humphreys has emphasised a fierce sense of determination in the camp.

“There has been a bit of an edge about training, which is what we want,” forwards specialist Humphreys said.

“We are just keen to continue the progress that we’ve shown. That is a big driving force for us, and we have talked constantly about that.

“I expect them (Georgia) to play a bit, and they are strong up-front – we are under no illusion about that.

“They are a dangerous outfit, and we cannot afford to go off-script.”

Few could have imagined Wales reaching the last eight just 11 months after Georgia triumphed 13-12 in Cardiff, and Humphreys added: “We’ve had five months together. We are more like a club team than an international team.

“We came in earlier than most teams, we know what we wanted to improve and we haven’t deviated from that.

“Probably the messages that went out in May, they haven’t changed at all.

“Every day, it has been working on those fundamentals that we felt were important and would make a difference.”

Wales head coach Warren Gatland has made six changes for the Georgia clash, with Dewi Lake captaining a side that also sees starts for wing Rio Dyer, fly-half Gareth Anscombe, scrum-half Tomos Williams, lock Dafydd Jenkins and flanker Tommy Reffell.

Centre Nick Tompkins will continue his midfield partnership with George North, meanwhile, and look to maintain the form that has made him among Wales’ most impressive performers at the tournament.

“We want no dip in our performance,” Tompkins said.

“We want to get better, we don’t want to take our foot off the pedal – that’s the last thing we want. We want confidence and momentum and to keep on going.

“I want to just keep getting better and keep pushing myself. There are a lot of things I need to improve on.

“I am happy with some areas, but there are some things I really need to push myself on.

“You look at some of the other centres out there and how well they are doing, and you want to emulate that.

“Being together as a squad for five months means you can have those little conversations and make little tweaks.

“You are all looking for little things to tweak and improve. It has been really healthy, and it has been all of us pushing each other.”

Tompkins has also voiced his support for the World Cup bunker system, whereby incidents of foul play can be referred and a yellow card retained or upgraded to red.

“I like it,” Tompkins added.

“Decisions are tough at the moment anyway, referees are under a lot of a pressure to keep the game moving quickly and get the right decision.

“I think it is brilliant, I like that model. To cut down the pressure we put on referees, especially, is good.”

Ireland continue their Rugby World Cup campaign on Saturday evening by taking on Tonga in Nantes.

Andy Farrell’s men are seeking a second successive Pool B win ahead of pivotal Paris appointments with South Africa and Scotland after beginning the competition with a thumping 82-8 success over Romania.

Here, the PA news agency picks out some of the main talking points.

Strong selection

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With the formidable Springboks looming large, there were suggestions head coach Farrell may make sweeping changes to his starting line-up. But the Englishman has resisted temptation and gone almost full strength. Only sidelined hooker Dan Sheehan and scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park are missing from arguably his preferred XV. Farrell made clear he wishes to prioritise the immediate challenge rather than become preoccupied by potential injury setbacks and the forthcoming threat of the reigning world champions. Some fans and pundits disagree with that logic. Only time will tell if it is the correct call.

Sexton seeking more history

Johnny Sexton returned with a bang in Bordeaux. His first competitive outing in almost six months following injury and suspension included two tries as part of a 24-point haul. The impressive return propelled him above Ronan O’Gara as Ireland’s leading World Cup points scorer (102) on the day he became his country’s oldest international. Further history beckons for the 38-year-old in Nantes. He needs just 10 more points to surpass O’Gara as Ireland’s outright record points scorer. Captain Sexton, who will retire after the tournament, is not contemplating personal glory. “It will be a very special moment individually but no-one else will really care,” he said.

Avoiding deja vu

Ireland require little reminder of the risks of underestimating weaker opposition at the World Cup. With influential fly-half Sexton rested, they were stunned by hosts Japan under Joe Schmidt in 2019, which ultimately led to a quarter-final exit at the hands of New Zealand. Farrell was assistant to Schmidt back then. But he insists the upset in Shizuoka has not influenced his strong selection. Ireland only need to look back to Thursday evening, when a second-string France side survived a major scare against Uruguay, for further evidence of the dangers posed by emerging nations.

Tough start for Tonga

Tonga have been drawn in the tournament’s trickiest pool, with the world’s top-ranked nation up first. Toutai Kefu’s side, who had a weekend off in round one, are well aware of their underdog status. “We’re not delusional to the challenge we face,” said assistant coach Tyler Bleyendaal. Yet the ranks of the Pacific islanders have been significantly bolstered thanks to a change of international eligibility rules. Former All Blacks Malakai Fekitoa, a World Cup winner in 2015, Charles Piutau, Augustine Pulu and Vaea Fifita are among their starting XV. Bleyendaal anticipates a physical encounter. “We’re here to really fire some shots,” said the former Munster player.

The heat is on

Ireland will welcome a significant reduction in temperature following the scorching conditions endured at Stade de Bordeaux. Farrell’s players defied heat of 36 degrees Celsius to run in 12 tries against Romania, while it was again uncomfortably warm on Friday afternoon when they trained at Stade de la Beaujoire. The forecast for Saturday’s 9pm kick-off local time is a more manageable 22 degrees, with light winds, clear skies and a low chance of precipitation following possible thundery showers earlier in the day. That said, humidity is expected to be high and will add to the intensity as Ireland once again bid to deliver under pressure.

Rennes edged out Lille and Monaco to secure a top-four finish while Nantes' first league win since February saw them stay up at Auxerre's expense on a dramatic final day of Ligue 1 action.

Rennes clinched a 2-1 victory against Brest thanks to a Benjamin Bourigeaud brace, seizing on Lille's 1-1 draw with relegated Troyes and Monaco's 2-1 reverse against Toulouse to take fourth.

Bruno Genesio's side thus secured Europa League football for next season, while Paulo Fonseca's Lille must settle for a Europa Conference League spot and Monaco missed out entirely.

Champions Paris Saint-Germain squandered a two-goal lead in a 3-2 loss to Clermont, meaning they finished just one point clear of runners-up Lens, who ended the season with a 3-1 win at Auxerre.

That victory allowed Nantes to finalise a great escape in their final game, vaulting Auxerre to secure safety with a 1-0 win over relegated Angers.

Nantes therefore secured top-flight football for another year, evading the expanded four-team relegation zone by a single point ahead of the division being cut to 18 teams.

Auxerre, Ajaccio, Troyes and Angers will play in Ligue 2 next season, with Le Havre and either Metz or Bordeaux coming up from the second tier.

Logan Costa and Thijs Dallinga both scored twice as Toulouse thrashed holders Nantes 5-1 in a one-sided Coupe de France final, handing Les Violets their first major trophy in their current guise.

Nantes never looked likely to defend their crown at the Stade de France, falling behind within four minutes as centre-back Costa climbed to head Branco van den Boomen's corner home.

Toulouse's dream start continued as they capitalised on another set-piece six minutes later, Stijn Spierings crossing for Costa to nod in from close range after Nantes half-cleared a free-kick.

Nantes almost got one back as Gabriel Suazo denied Mostafa Mohamed with a goal-line clearance, but Toulouse had a third 23 minutes in, Dallinga racing onto Suazo's pass to beat Alban Lafont with a dinked finish.

Any slim hopes of a Nantes comeback were then crushed as Dallinga tapped in his second after Lafont saved from Fares Chaibi, stunning Les Canaris' supporters into silence.

Nantes captain Ludovic Blas got one back from the penalty spot when Rasmus Nicolaisen scythed down Fabien Centonze with 15 minutes remaining, but Zakaria Aboukhlal swiftly blasted into the top-left corner to round off the scoring for Toulouse.

While Toulouse can celebrate lifting a first major trophy since predecessors Toulouse FC won this competition in 1957, Nantes must recover quickly as they battle to preserve their Ligue 1 status.

Nantes head coach Antoine Kombouare labelled his players "a sh***y team" on Sunday as he took a dramatic swipe at the group two weeks ahead of the Coupe de France final.

There will be glory in their sights at the Stade de France on April 29 when Nantes tackle Toulouse for cup honours.

However, former Paris Saint-Germain boss Kombouare tore into his side in a television interview after the 2-1 loss at Auxerre on Ligue 1 duty that left Nantes 15th in the table.

The 59-year-old told Prime Video: "Today the players aren't concerned by survival because, up to now... imagine, you got to the 16th finals of the Europa League, you're going to the Stade de France in two weeks.

"But apparently they would prefer for us to be up the creek and find ourselves 17th to be able to wake up.

"They like to play with the pressure so we're going to laugh. In any case today, I hear those from Auxerre say that we are a good team but no, we are a sh****y team!"

Nantes saw their Europa League campaign ended by Juventus in February when they lost 4-1 on aggregate to the Italian giants.

They have not won a domestic league match since February 12 when they scored a 1-0 home victory over Lorient, taking three points from a possible 24 since.

It is a run that has left relegation a distinct possibility, with Nantes just two points clear of the drop zone, which contains the bottom four sides for this season as Ligue 1 makes the change to an 18-team league from the 2023-24 season.

They will be seeking back-to-back Coupe de France titles, having beaten Nice 1-0 in last season's final.

Nantes secured their place in the Coupe de France final for a second successive season after Ludovic Blas' sensational second-half strike secured a deserved 1-0 win against Lyon. 

The holders sit 14th in Ligue 1 but have enjoyed another inspired cup run, with Wednesday's upset of Lyon now gifting them the opportunity to win back-to-back crowns.

Jean-Charles Castelletto almost gave Nantes the perfect start but his first-minute effort was saved expertly by Anthony Lopes.

The home side thought they had gone ahead when Samuel Moutoussamy capitalised on a Lyon defensive mistake, but his effort was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. 

Antoine Kombouare's side would finally make their advantage pay in the second half, however, as Blas fired home a marvellous left-footed effort into the top corner to secure another famous win in front of a frenzied home crowd. 

The defending champions will now play either Toulouse or second-tier Annecy in the final on April 29.

Kylian Mbappe savoured his "special" achievement of becoming Paris Saint-Germain's outright leading goalscorer on Saturday and declared "there is still a lot to be done."

Mbappe moved beyond Edinson Cavani's tally with his 201st goal for PSG in stoppage time to seal a 4-2 Ligue 1 win over Nantes at Parc des Princes.

The France forward's incredible haul of goals for the Ligue 1 champions has come in only 247 games.

Mbappe was wearing the captain's armband when he made history after Marquinhos was withdrawn in the second half due to injury.

The former Monaco man set the record aged only 24, turning sharply in the box before drilling home with a typically clinical finish.

He told Canal Plus: "I play to make history and I have always said I wanted to make history in France, in the capital of my country, in my city, and I am doing that.

"It's magnificent, but there is still a lot to be done.

Mbappe added: "For me, as a native Parisian, this is special. If someone had said to me I would score the goal to beat the record while wearing the captain's armband, I would not have believed it."

PSG had made hard work of going 11 points clear at the top of the table after taking command early on courtesy of Lionel Messi scoring in a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 game and a Jaouen Hadjam own goal.

Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted Nantes a lifeline when Ludovic Blas beat the PSG goalkeeper at his near post from wide on the left when he was anticipating a cross and Ignatius Ganago equalised with a first-half header.

The champions were not to be denied all three points, though, Danilo Pereira heading them back in front and Mbappe putting the icing on the cake in the closing stages.

Christophe Galtier's side now turn their attention to trying to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they travel to Bayern Munich for the second leg of a Champions League round-of-16 tie on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe surpassed Edinson Cavani as Paris Saint-Germain's all-time leading goalscorer after netting against Nantes on Saturday.

Uruguayan striker Cavani scored 200 for the club, taking the record from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Mbappe is now out in front.

The 24-year-old joined from Monaco on an initial loan deal in 2017 before his stay was made permanent for €180million – he remains the second-most expensive player of all time.

He scored 21 goals in his debut campaign but then reached an altogether different level in the 2018-19 season, scoring 33 in Ligue 1 alone.

Mbappe has continued on a similar trajectory ever since, with his 201st goal coming after just 247 matches – Cavani's 200 came from 301 appearances.

Although Mbappe's form was deemed to have waned – aside from his five-goal haul against sixth-tier Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France – after the World Cup, he has shown his importance to the club by reaching such a landmark.

He arrived at PSG during the same transfer window as Neymar, while the 2021 signing of Lionel Messi brought another big name aiming to be the club's main man.

Yet Mbappe has been comfortably the most consistent of the trio, regularly spurring PSG on to success in the absence of the often-injured Neymar prior to Messi's arrival.

Mbappe is also closing in on Cavani's status as PSG's record Ligue 1 goalscorer, with the current Valencia player having scored 138 in France's top tier – his former team-mate is just two behind.

It seems doubtful that Mbappe will stick around long enough to take the all-time record for Ligue 1 goals, however.

Former Monaco, Reims, Tours and Toulon forward Delio Onnis holds the record with 299.

To surpass him, Mbappe would likely need to spend several more years in Ligue 1, and that seems unlikely given the almost continuous links with the likes of Real Madrid.

Kylian Mbappe became Paris Saint-Germain's outright record goalscorer to seal a 4-2 win over Nantes and put the champions 11 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.

Lionel Messi put PSG in front with his 18th goal of the season and they looked set for a comfortable evening when a Jaouen Hadjam own goal doubled their advantage only 17 minutes in.

Nantes had other ideas, Ludovic Blas giving them a lifeline by catching Gianluigi Donnarumma out at his near post and Ignatius Ganago heading them level in an action-packed first half at Parc des Princes on Saturday.

Danilo Pereira restored PSG's lead with a second-half header and Mbappe made history with his 201st goal for the club in the closing stages, surpassing Edinson Cavani's tally.

Neymar is expected to miss the second leg of Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last-16 tie with Bayern Munich as a result of his ankle injury, head coach Christophe Galtier has revealed.

Neymar was taken off on a stretcher during PSG's thrilling 4-3 win against Lille on February 19, with scans subsequently revealing he had suffered ankle ligament damage.

The Brazil international's injury immediately threw his participation against Bayern into doubt, with PSG needing to overturn a 1-0 deficit after losing the first leg at the Parc des Princes – a game that saw fellow attacking star Kylian Mbappe reduced to the role of substitute through injury.  

PSG's fears were confirmed as Galtier previewed Saturday's Ligue 1 meeting with Nantes, saying: "In the next two games, we won't have Neymar available. 

"I think he will miss out against Bayern Munich."

A medical update issued by the club, meanwhile, said Neymar was continuing his rehabilitation and would be reassessed on Monday – two days before PSG's trip to Germany.

Neymar's absence did not hamper PSG last time out, as Mbappe and Lionel Messi starred in a 3-0 thrashing of Marseille to move the Ligue 1 leaders eight points clear at the summit.

That win saw Mbappe move level with PSG's all-time record scorer Edinson Cavani with 200 goals for the club, while Messi claimed the 700th senior goal of his club career.

Having exchanged assists for all three goals, Messi and Mbappe have now combined for 10 goals in Ligue 1 this season, which is the most in the division and four more than Neymar and Mbappe.

However, Galtier dismissed suggestions PSG were a more balanced side with Neymar sidelined, saying: "Our block is much more compact, denser. 

"With the absence of Neymar, instead of having two midfielders, we will be with three midfielders and two attackers.

"To tell you that Neymar's absence is trivial… no. It's a detrimental absence for us."

While Wednesday's trip to Bayern is viewed as make-or-break for PSG's season, Galtier knows Nantes – who have won two of their last four league games against the Parisians – will provide a stern test.

"The most important game is the one that's coming. Our squad is weakened by suspensions and injuries, we have to make our way in the league," he said.

"I hope the players don't have the game against Bayern on Wednesday in a corner of their heads. It's important to have a third consecutive victory in the league." 

Massimiliano Allegri hailed the impact of Angel Di Maria after the winger's hat-trick helped Juventus see off Nantes on Thursday to advance to the last 16 of the Europa League.

Di Maria put the Bianconeri in front with a stunning opener after just five minutes, before his inventive backheel was prevented from going in by the arm of Nicolas Pallois, giving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

Di Maria thumped home the resulting penalty after Pallois was given his marching orders, and the Argentina international rounded off his hat-trick with a late header to cap a sublime display and send the Bianconeri through, becoming the first Juve player to score at least three goals in a European match since Filippo Inzaghi in 2000.

Allegri lauded the improvements Di Maria has made after an injury-hit start to life at Juventus following his move from Paris Saint-Germain.

"Angel is a world champion," Allegri told reporters after the match. "He increases the quality of this Juventus and we are all happy to have him.

"Having someone like him is important to the team. Now, he knows the team better and is physically better."

Allegri was delighted with his team's second-leg performance after a disappointing 1-1 draw in Turin left his team with a tricky test to progress at a raucous Stade de la Beaujoire.

They came through that test in style, and Allegri is setting his sights on winning the competition after one win in six Champions League group-stage matches saw Juve drop into the Europa League.

It could also be their only route to next season's Champions League, following a 15-point deduction in Serie A for financial breaches which sees them sitting seventh and playing catch-up for the European spots.

"Winning away from home is never easy, in Europe even more," Allegri said. "After the elimination in the Champions League, it seems that winning in Europe for Juve is a walk in the park, but it's not like that.

"Now seeing the [Serie A] standings, the Europa League seems like the only way to get to the Champions League.

"Barcelona, ​​Manchester United, Sevilla, Feyenoord, Arsenal, there are important teams [in the Europa League].

"Let's see who we get in the round of 16, if Roma also get through. We try to get to the final, but not just to get to the Champions League, but also to win a trophy."

An Angel Di Maria hat-trick fired Juventus into the Europa League round of 16 as they secured a 4-1 aggregate triumph over 10-man Nantes on Thursday.

A 1-1 draw in Turin meant Juve faced a tough task to progress at a loud Stade de la Beaujoire, but Di Maria's spectacular opener set them on the way to victory.

Nantes' task was made harder when Nicolas Pallois saw red for handling Di Maria's inventive goalbound flick, before the Juve winger slammed the resulting penalty into the top corner.

Di Maria capped his excellent display with a late header to seal Juve's progression, and Massimiliano Allegri's men await Friday's draw to find out who stands between them and the quarter-finals.

Nantes started brightly but found themselves behind after five minutes when Di Maria's stunning curler found the top left corner from outside the area.

Things went from bad to worse for the hosts shortly after as Di Maria weaved into the box before backheeling towards goal, with the Argentina international's effort striking the arm of Pallois.

The referee awarded a penalty and sent the Nantes defender off, before Di Maria thumped home the spot-kick.

It should have been game over just before the break, but Filip Kostic could only drill off the post from a tight angle.

Di Maria nearly completed his hat-trick shortly after the restart, though Alban Lafont palmed away his attempt from range.

Di Maria did get his treble with 12 minutes to play though as his header from a tight angle squeezed just over the line to put Juve through to the next round in style.

Massimiliano Allegri explained injuries were to be expected for Federico Chiesa this season and the issue that will keep him out this week is "nothing serious".

Chiesa will not play for Juventus against Nantes in the second leg of their Europa League knockout round play-off.

His absence is a blow having impressed in a first leg the Bianconeri dominated before drawing 1-1 in Turin.

Any lay-off for Chiesa is likely to cause concern given he missed almost a year with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

However, Allegri was able to reassure Juve supporters ahead of the match at Stade de la Beaujoire, suggesting such setbacks were natural after a major injury.

"Unfortunately, tomorrow we don't have him, but we knew this," Allegri said.

"When a player is 10 months without playing, he comes back and when he makes two games in a row, some issues can occur that are nothing serious but affect the possibility of having him available."

Juve would have hoped not to be playing in the Europa League, but Allegri still sees an opportunity to take a rare step.

In each of the previous three campaigns, the Serie A giants were beaten in their first knockout tie in the Champions League, meaning they are looking to end a long wait for a two-legged triumph.

"This year Juventus has an important goal," Allegri said. "It is to pass the first qualifying round, even if these are the 'sixteenth-finals', given that in the last three years we have always gone out in the first knockout round in the Champions League.

"Tomorrow is a final, a unique game, since away goals no longer count double. We know that tomorrow we play a game at [Nantes'] home, and we play for the passage through this round."