Messi's PSG thump defending champs Lille

Lionel Messi has enjoyed one of his best games for Paris Saint-Germain as the runaway Ligue 1 leaders profited from bad goalkeeping to win 5-1 at defending champions Lille on Sunday and move 13 points clear in France.

The first two goals were gifted while the third was well taken by the record seven-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi in the 37th minute for only his second league goal since joining from Barcelona.

PSG drew and lost to Lille last season without scoring a goal. Lille conceded only 23 times during that victorious campaign, but standout goalkeeper Mike Maignan's departure to AC Milan has proved costly and Lille have already allowed in 35 this campaign.

The difference was evident when Lille shot stopper Ivo Grbic made an awful blunder in the 10th minute, spilling a routine cross into the path of Danilo Pereira for a tap-in.

Central defender Sven Botman equalised in the 27th, turning in a cross following Hatem Ben Arfa's superb run down the left. Ben Arfa showed great skill skating past Angel Di Maria, despite having little space, then flicking the ball while off-balance to the waiting Botman.

Grbic then made another inexplicable error as he failed to move for a corner, clumsily letting it drift over him with center back Presnel Kimpembe scoring from close range.

He was not at fault for PSG's third goal, yet his defence was. They failed to clear the ball and allowed it to land at the feet of Messi.

The Argentina star showed his trademark skill to dink it over Grbic, while Messi also hit the crossbar with a free kick on the stroke of halftime.

Pereira's deflected strike fortuitously flew past Grbic in the 50th, but there was nothing lucky about Kylian Mbappe's superb curler from 20 meters midway through the second