PARIS, Feb. 4 (Xinhua) -- Paris Saint-Germain extended their lead to 15 points at the top of the French Ligue 1 table, after beating Nantes 2-1 away on Tuesday.

Mauro Icardi and Thilo Kehrer scored in each half to secure the win for the defending champions. Nigeria international striker Moses Simon pulled one goal back for Nantes in the 68th minute.

Brazilian forward Neymar missed the trip to Nantes due to a rib injury. The former Barcelona striker has just hosted his birthday party last Sunday as he will turn 28 on Wednesday.

Earlier on the day, Rennes lost 1-0 away to Lille, missing the chance to move to the second place in the standings. Loic Remy scored the only goal of the game.

Elsewhere, Monaco snapped their three-game losing streak after beating Angers 1-0 at home. Stevan Jovetic's 18th-minute opener helped the hosts raise their league ranking to the ninth place.