Lionel Messi scored a stunning free-kick and Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to score as Paris Saint-Germain defeated Nice 2-1 on Saturday to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1.
France international Mbappe was left out of the starting line-up by manager Christophe Galtier with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League clash at Benfica - one of 11 fixtures the French champions face in the six weeks leading up to the World Cup.
Mbappe was replaced in the starting line-up by 20-year-old Hugo Ekitike, who was making his first start for PSG but struggled to make an impact.
However, it was fellow superstar Messi who grabbed the attention when he gave PSG a 29th-minute lead with a sumptuous, curling free-kick which sailed over the Nice wall and past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel.
"I'm incredibly lucky to see him every morning in training," said Galtier of the Argentine.
It was Messi's 60th career goal from free-kicks but first in a PSG shirt.
Gaetan Laborde levelled for Nice, who were coached by Galtier until this season, in the 47th minute after PSG got into a terrible defensive tangle.
Mbappe was summoned from the bench on the hour mark and struck the winner with seven minutes left after Nice attempted and failed to play the ball out of defence.
The goal was Mbappe's eighth of the league season and took him level with teammate Neymar at the top of the scoring charts.
"We are not playing less well than we were, but our opponents are starting to know us," said PSG defender Marquinhos after a disjointed display by the champions.
"We are not going to have an exceptional match every time or win 5-0. It's important to know how to win 1-0 or 2-1 with a goal at the end, like tonight.
"It was complicated in the first half, we couldn't find any space to create chances. Nice blocked us but a superb free-kick Leo Messi unblocked the situation."
Nice manager Lucien Favre admitted he was frustrated that his team were left empty-handed.
"You play the best game of your season, but at the end, you lose," said Nice coach Lucien Favre after his team's fifth Ligue 1 defeat of the season.
"We played a good match, so it's disappointing and cruel. We didn't give PSG a lot of chances to score. They didn't have many chances."
PSG have a two-point lead over Marseille who defeated Angers 3-0 on Friday.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
WWE Evolution results
- Trish Stratus and Lita beat Alicia Fox and Mickie James in a tag match
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Biography
Favourite drink: Must have karak chai and Chinese tea every day
Favourite non-Chinese food: Arabic sweets and Indian puri, small round bread of wheat flour
Favourite Chinese dish: Spicy boiled fish or anything cooked by her mother because of its flavour
Best vacation: Returning home to China
Music interests: Enjoys playing the zheng, a string musical instrument
Enjoys reading: Chinese novels, romantic comedies, reading up on business trends, government policy changes
Favourite book: Chairman Mao Zedong’s poems
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EA Sports FC 25
Developer: EA Vancouver, EA Romania
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4&5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5