PARIS: Neymar went off on a stretcher after twisting his right ankle late in league leaders Paris St Germain`s 3-0 home win against third-place Olympique de Marseille on Sunday.

The Brazil striker was taken off with 10 minutes remaining, after going in for a challenge on Marseille defender Bouna Sarr near the halfwayline.

The match between the traditional rivals became increasingly heated, especially in the second half, with cheap challenges from both teams and 11 yellow cards, six of them for PSG.

Neymar had his head in his hands and appeared tearful as he was taken off. His standing leg jarred as he lost balance and the weight of his body went onto his ankle, which briefly buckled under him.

The win moved PSG 14 points clear of second-place Monaco, with only 11 games left, but thoughts were with Neymar.

`We were solid and we tried to control the game,` PSG captain Thiago Silva said. `It`s a shame that we lost an important player at the end.

Asked if he thinks Neymar`s injury is serious, Silva speculated that it was, saying: `Yes, because it was swollen straight away. I`m not a doctor but I don`t think he`ll be ready for Wednesday [in the French Cup against Marseille].

PSG`s first two goals stemmed from Marseille`s mistakes at the back.

In the 10th minute, PSG rightback Dani Alves` pass behind the defensewas easily read by left back Jordan Amavi. But rather than clearing the ball properly, his soft sliding tackle knocked it to Kylian Mbappe, who skipped past another defender before drilling a low shot into the bottom right corner.

The second goal came from the other side, as midfielder Adrien Rabiot broke down the left and his cross found Neymar, whose sidefooted pass was turned into his own net by center half Jorge Rolando in the 28th.

PSG`s third in the 56th owed nothing to fortune, as Cavani expertly controlled Neymar`s pass from the left with the inside of his foot, easily turned Rolando and smacked in a powerful shot past goalkeeper Yohann Pele for his league-leading24th of the season.

Marseille threatened mainly from midfielder Dimitri Payet`s laser-like free kicks, but no one could get on the end of them. The defeat means Marseille stay two points behind Monaco.

Olympique Lyonnais` poor defending cost the team once again as rightback Mathieu Debuchy scored a lastminute equaliser for local rivals St Etienne in a 1-1 draw.

Debuchy, a recent signing from Premier League side Arsenal, was left unmarked inside the penalty area to steer in a shot off the post from Remy Cabella`s left-wing cross.

Fourth-placed Lyon are five points behind third-place Marseille.

A brilliantly executed goal from striker Mariano Diaz, his 15th of the season, gave Lyon a 19th-minute lead. He chested down a long pass from Brazilian defender Marcelo with his back to goal, flicked the ball around a defender with his right foot and then regained his balance before adroitly clipping it with his left past goalkeeper Stephane Ruf fier.

Nice were reprieved by the woodwork four times in a 0-0 draw at Girondins Bordeaux.

Bordeaux striker Nicolas De Preville hit the crossbar in injury time, having done so with a curling effort during the first half.

Centre-half Paul Baysee hit the post in the 89th minute and midfielder Soualiho Meite did likewise in the 12th. Bordeaux are in eighth place and Nice remain ninth.

-AP