PARIS — Thiago Motta and Maxwell each scored as Paris Saint-Germain picked up where it left off before the midseason break with a 2-0 win over Bastia in the French league Friday.
Unbeaten domestically this season, PSG extended its lead over Monaco at the top of the standings to 22 points.
After setting a new record of 51 points in 19 games in the first half of the season, PSG is looking to reproduce the domestic treble Laurent Blanc’s side achieved last season when it won the league title, the League Cup and the cup.
Motta capitalized on slack Bastia defending to score his first goal this season in the 29th minute as he headed home a corner when left unmarked at the far post. Maxwell doubled the lead 10 minutes later with a left-footed volley.
PSG, which laboured to a scrappy 1-0 win over fourth-tier side Wasquehal in its first game of 2016 last week in the French Cup, put on a much better display at the Parc des Princes.
The hosts started slowly but enjoyed most of the ball possession after Motta’s opening goal. PSG, which posted a 17th league win this season, had another good chance in the final minute when Bastia defender Florian Marange came close of scoring an own goal with a shot straight on to the crossbar as he tried to clear a cross.
Bastia remains in 16th place, just three points above the relegation zone.
Second-place Monaco hosts Ajaccio on Saturday.
