Messi scores from Neymar assist as PSG edge past Lyon

Lionel Messi struck after five minutes as Paris Saint-Germain edged Lyon 1-0 to regain top spot in the Ligue 1 table ahead of Marseille on Sunday.

Neymar set up the Argentinian with his seventh assist in eight Ligue 1 games.

The victory pulled PSG two points clear of Marseille who had taken top spot earlier with a 1-1 draw at home against Rennes.

Lorient, 3-1 winners over Auxerre, are three points adrift of the leaders.

Lens dropped to fourth after being held to a goalless draw in Nantes.

"PSG played a great game tonight, against a difficult team  which was waiting for us," said PSG coach Christophe Galtier.

"We scored a good goal and could have scored others.

"We were much more balanced, Neymar in particular gave us a balance which was really necessary. Even if we were less mobile in the second half we still had a lot of chances."

PSG were imperious in the first half but did not finish off their opponent who woke up after the break with Johann Lepenant coming on in place of a tired Corentin Tolisso.

But Galtier's side held on to inflict Lyon's third defeat of the season.

Galtier's "MNM" attack is firing on all cylinders, with eight goals in Ligue 1 for Neymar, seven for Kylian Mbappe and four for Messi.