Paris, April 26 (IANS) Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain stated their Ligue 1 title credentials with a 6-1 demolition of Lille thanks to midfielder Ezequiel Lavezzi’s hat-trick here on Saturday.

The victory lifted the twice title-holders back on top with one game in hand, three points ahead of Lyon, who play Reims on Sunday, reports Xinhua.

Coach Laurent Blanc’s side now has 68 points with 19 wins, 11 draws and just three defeats after 33 matches so far, but they have spent much of the season looking up at the pace-setters, first Marseille and then Lyon.

Saturday’s game, however, showed the champions may be coming into form at just the right time even without suspended leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Goals from defender Maxwell and striker Edinson Cavani inside the opening four minutes set the scene and Lavezzi struck twice before half-time to make the game safe.

Defender Marko Basa pulled one back but Cavani’s penalty and another Lavezzi strike rounded off the victory for the home team.

In other play on Saturday, Bordeaux earned a 1-1 which denied Metz a precious victory that could have saved them from relegation.

Bastia claimed a 2-1 come-from-behind triumph at fellow strugglers Evian as teenage Guinea striker Francois Kamano grabbed both goals.

Toulouse missed the chance to pull further away from the relegation zone with a 1-1 home draw with Nantes, Guingamp moved six points clear of the drop zone after beating Caen 2-0, while Rennes came from behind to earn a 2-1 win over Nice.

Earlier in the 34th round of play, Lorient win 5-3 away over his former club Marseille on Friday.

The first-half Ligue 1 leaders thus remain in the fourth place, leading on goal difference to fifth-placed Saint-Etienne, who host Montpellier on Sunday.

Third-placed Monaco will travel to bottem side Lens and Lyon will try to seize back the top spot against Reims.