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Champion PSG thrashes Montpellier and Monaco seals Champions League spot

PARIS (AP) — Ligue 1 champion Paris Saint-Germain did not need its usual stalwarts to beat last-placed Montpellier 4-1 with a Goncalo Ramos hat trick on Saturday.

Behind PSG, Monaco sealed a spot in next season's Champions League on the penultimate matchday after beating Lyon 2-0.

Marseille could also guarantee a Champions League place if it won at Le Havre. The southern club led 1-0 when the match was stopped because of crowd trouble. It resumed after about half an hour.

After getting past Arsenal midweek to reach the Champions League final, PSG coach Luis Enrique rested seven players: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha.

Senny Mayulu, an 18-year-old midfielder, was given a start and did not disappoint to put PSG ahead before halftime with a powerful strike for his second goal this season. Ramos made it 2-0 off a deflection, and added another goal from the spot.

Having won the league with six games to spare, PSG is hoping for its first ever treble. In addition to the Champions League final against Inter Milan on May 31, Enrique’s team will have another shot at more silverware against Reims the week before in the French Cup final.

Monaco sealed its 18th win this season with goals from Takumi Minamino and Denis Zakaria and is guaranteed to finish among the three best teams. The top three qualify for the group stage of the Champions League, and the fourth team grabs a spot in the qualifying rounds.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

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