By Julien Pretot
PARIS (Reuters) -Randal Kolo Muani and Goncalo Ramos scored their first goals for Paris St Germain as the French champions crushed bitter rivals Olympique de Marseille 4-0 in Ligue 1 on Sunday.
Kolo Muani and Ramos, with a brace, added to Achraf Hakimi’s early opener to lift PSG up to third in the standings with 11 points from six games, two behind surprise leaders Stade Brestois.
It was not the perfect night for the hosts at the Parc des Princes, however, as Kylian Mbappe limped off the pitch with a possible ankle injury in the first half.
Marseille, who have had a rough week off the field amid a feud with their fans, are seventh on nine points.
The Provence side parted company with coach Marcelino and hit out at their fans’ representatives during the week after they allegedly threatened the club’s management and pressured them to resign.
President Pablo Longoria vowed to stay on, saying he had received “unconditional support” from the club’s owner Frank McCourt.
With interim coach Jacques Abardonado on the bench — or, more precisely, gesticulating and screaming from the touchline — OM were unable to respond to PSG’s ‘Tiki Taka’, the ultra possessive strategy coach Luis Enrique has been looking to impose on a team who have long struggled to find a playing style.
PSG were rewarded after eight minutes when Hakimi fired a free kick into the top corner after Mbappe had been fouled at the edge of the box.
The France forward was replaced by Marcelo Ramos on 32 minutes with a potential ankle injury.
HOMOPHOBIC CHANTS
Bradley Barcola tormented the Marseille defence on the left flank, threatening multiple times with his silky dribbling.
The visitors, however, came close in the 23rd minute as Vitinha’s header shaved the crossbar.
But PSG were far more clinical.
In the 40th minute, Hakimi’s brutal strike crashed on to the post and was deflected by keeper Pau Lopez’s back into the path of Kolo Muani, who only had to tap in for his first goal with PSG.
Vitinha and Azzedine Ounahi were substituted at halftime by Ilian Ndiaye and Amine Harit, respectively, but it was PSG who made the fastest start as Ramos headed home from Ousmane Dembele’s cross on 47 minutes.
The night ended with PSG fans in the Boulogne kop celebrating with homophobic chants, and a big part of the crowd clapping along.
The chants briefly stopped when Ramos scored the fourth goal after being set up by Kolo Muani at the end of a sharp counter-attack.
Earlier, last year’s runners-up RC Lens claimed their first win of the season when they beat Toulouse 2-1 at home thanks to a Morgan Guilavogui late goal, capping a fine week after a 1-1 away draw at Sevilla in the Champions League.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Clare Fallon)
