Paris Saint-Germain have opened up an 11-point gap at the top of the Ligue 1 table courtesy of a 1-0 victory over Nantes at the Stade de la Beaujoire this evening.
Angel Di Maria scored the only goal of the game for the runaway league leaders after just 12 minutes, ensuring a seventh consecutive win in all competitions upon their return to league duties following the winter break.
PSG were without the injured Neymar for the visit to fifth-placed Nantes, but that didn't prevent them from making a quick start to the game with the opening goal.
Edinson Cavani, who is forced to wait to level Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the club's leading all-time scorer, fed the ball into the feet of Di Maria, who calmly passed his finish into the bottom corner from the right side of the penalty area.
Di Maria should have doubled both his personal tally and PSG's lead eight minutes before half time too, but he somehow fired well over the crossbar with the goal gaping after being set up once again by Cavani.
It was clear contender for miss of the season, and it almost came back to haunt the visitors early in the second half when Diego Carlos's header from inside the box went just past the post.
PSG were soon back on the front foot, but once again Di Maria failed to hit the target with a clear chance after this time being teed up by Kylian Mbappe.
The Argentine's profligacy was almost punished shortly after the hour mark when Nantes did have the ball in the back of the net, although Emiliano Sala's goal was controversially ruled out for offside.
The visitors squandered another chance to give themselves some breathing space five minutes from time when Mbappe let fly with a volley, only to be denied by a fine stop from the keeper.
Nantes were unable to find an equaliser in the closing stages and ended the match with 10 men too after Diego was shown a bizarre second yellow card in stoppage time.
The defender was racing back towards his own goal when he collided with referee Tony Chapron, who sensationally kicked out at the player before producing a red card.
There was almost further punishment for Nantes as the resulting free kick was met by Adrien Rabiot, but he became the latest PSG player to spurn a good chance when his effort from close range struck the woodwork in the final meaningful action of the match.
NANTES (4-4-2): Tatarusanu; Awaziem, Diego, Pallois, Lima; Dubois (Thomasson, 81'), Toure, Girotto (N'Gom, 72'), Bammou (Iloki, 66'); Rongier, Sala
PSG (4-3-3): Areola; Alves, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Kurzawa; Verratti, Lo Celso, Rabiot; Mbappe, Cavani (Meunier, 68'), Di Maria (Nkunku, 80')
Barney Corkhill
