PARIS: Paris St Germain recovered from a shaky start to regain an 11-point lead in Ligue 1 as goals by Kylian Mbappe and Thilo Kehrer gave them a 2-0 home victory against Stade Brestois on Saturday.

Mbappe and Kehrer found the back of the net either side of the interval to put the capital side on 50 points from 21 games a day after second-placed Nice beat Nantes The result left Brest in 13th place on 25 points.

RC Lens are fourth with 33 points af ter Seko Fofana`s stoppage-time goal earned the northerners a 2-1 comeback win at bottom side St Etienne earlier on Saturday.

St Etienne, who are hoping to avoid being relegated for the first time since promotion to the top flight in 2004, have won only two games and lost 12, leaving them four points behind 19th-placed Metz.

At the Parc des Princes, PSG were missing Lionel Messi as he continues to recover from the coronavirus, and struggled early.

Brest forward Irvin Cardona was lively and forced goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma into two smart saves.

Mbappe`s excellent form has glossed over PSG`s shortcomings this season, and he curled a shot into the bottom corner from the left of the penalty area in the 32nd minute for his 10th goal in his last six appearances.

PSG midfielder Marco Verratti hit the post just after the break, and left back Nuno Mendes set up fellow defender Kehrer for a close-range volley in the 53rd.-Agencies