Lionel Messi was booed on his return for Paris Saint-Germain, who cruised to a 5-0 victory in Ligue 1 action on Saturday night.
Ligue 1
Result: Paris Saint-Germain 5-0 Ajaccio
Date: 13 May 2023
Venue: Parc des Princes
Messi was back in the starting line-up after missing last week's game due to a club suspension for his unsanctioned trip to Saudi Arabia, although he was booed by the home supporters when his name was read out.
Christophe Galtier and his PSG side knew that only maximum points would suffice as they entered the clash with a three-point lead over RC Lens, who defeated Reims on Friday night.
After a quiet start to the game, PSG broke the deadlock in the 22nd minute when Fabian Ruiz embarked on a solo run before firing into the bottom corner in the box.
The lead was doubled ten minutes before the halftime break, as Hakimi marked his return to the side with a close-range finish after Francois-Joseph Sollacaro could only parry Kylian Mbappe's strike.
PSG carried that momentum into the second half and bagged a third goal two minutes in when Hugo Ekitike did well to squeeze the ball into Mbappe, made no mistake from close range.
Mbappe got his second and PSG's fourth goal on 54 minutes as the French latched onto a ball over the top by Sergio Ramos before sending a powerful volley into the back of the net.
PSG were able to get a fifth goal in the 73rd minute when Ajaccio defender Mohamed Youssouf could only deflect Marquinhos' effort into his own net while trying to clear.
The game would end on a sour note, as both teams were reduced to ten men in the final ten minutes as Hakimi and Thomas Mangani were both given straight red cards after a big scuffle.
Nevertheless, 5-0 was how the encounter finished as Galtier's men restored their six-point lead at the top of the standings while Ajaccio have been relegated.
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