Dembele scores double as runaway leaders PSG thrash Monaco 4-1

PARIS : Ousmane Dembele's second-half brace and goals from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Vitinha steered Paris St Germain to a 4-1 home win over AS Monaco on Friday, preserving their unbeaten run and extending their lead in Ligue 1.

PSG, who announced contract extensions for coach Luis Enrique, Achraf Hakimi, Nuno Mendes, and Vitinha before the match, secured their 16th win in 21 games to reach 53 points, 13 ahead of second-placed Marseille, who have a game in hand.

Vitinha opened the scoring just six minutes in when he sent his low free kick inside the near post to beat the Monaco goalkeeper, before Denis Zakaria equalised for the visitors by scoring from a tight angle off Soungoutou Magassa's fine through ball in the 17th minute.

While both sides had chances to grab the lead before halftime, it was PSG's new signing Kvaratskhelia who put the hosts ahead again with his first goal for the club after brilliantly cutting inside a defender in the box in the 54th minute.

Ligue 1 leading scorer Dembele extended the advantage just three minutes later after a one-two with Desire Doue, and the 27-year-old winger sealed the rout in stoppage time with his 16th league goal this season.

The French champions next play at fellow Ligue 1 outfit Brest in the Champions League knockout playoffs on Tuesday.