Paris St Germain fought back from a goal down to beat struggling St Etienne 3-1 on Saturday, extending their advantage at the top of Ligue 1 to 16 points.
Mbappe, a French forward, scored twice before turning provider for Danilo Pereira, who scored the third goal at the back post.
St Etienne had won 10 of their previous four Ligue 1 games, moving them from the bottom of the table to just outside the relegation zone. Denis Bouanga gave them the lead in the 16th minute, and they kept it until three minutes before halftime, when Lionel Messi set up Mbappe for the equalizer. The same combination put PSG ahead two minutes into the second half, and Danilo Pereira increased the lead five minutes later.
Nice climbed to second place after a 0-0 draw with fifth-placed Racing Strasbourg earlier in the day.
After 26 games, Nice has 46 points, compared to PSG’s 62.
If they avoid loss at Troyes on Sunday, Olympique de Marseille, who are now in third place on goal difference, may reclaim second place in the standings.
In the meantime, St. Etienne is still 16th in the table, one point above the relegation zone.