Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie towards Liverpool by successful 4-1 away to Rennes in Ligue 1 with a much-changed workforce on Saturday.
Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos had PSG 2-0 up in Brittany earlier than Lilian Brassier pulled one again for Rennes, however Dembele netted twice in stoppage time to seal the victory for the guests.
The outcome allowed the Ligue 1 leaders to keep up their unbeaten file in home competitors this season.
The Parisians at the moment are an enormous 16 factors clear on the high earlier than closest challengers Marseille play at dwelling to Lens later.
Luis Enrique’s aspect have been in the end comfy winners regardless of the coach making eight modifications to his beginning line-up in between the 2 legs of the Liverpool tie, with the return at Anfield arising on Tuesday.
“We’re in excellent situation to go and tackle Liverpool. We’ve got nothing to lose and we are going to give every little thing to attempt to qualify,” for the quarter-finals, stated Luis Enrique.
“It was troublesome however we put in a critical efficiency and it provides us a number of hope earlier than going to Liverpool,” the Spaniard added of his workforce’s show.
– Key gamers rested –
Barcola, Joao Neves and Willian Pacho have been the one gamers to maintain their locations for PSG towards Rennes following the 1-0 dwelling loss to Liverpool within the first leg final Wednesday.
Dembele was among the many common starters to be rested at kick-off, however he got here off the bench simply after the hour mark and the France ahead’s double strike strikes him onto 20 league objectives for the marketing campaign.
The participant who started his profession at Rennes has now scored 28 instances in all competitions this season, together with 23 objectives in 18 appearances since mid-December.
Rennes got here into the sport on a run of 4 wins in 5 outings to climb up into mid-table after Habib Beye changed Jorge Sampaoli as coach on the finish of January.
Nonetheless, PSG went in entrance at Roazhon Park on 27 minutes as Need Doue, one other former Rennes participant, shortly took a free-kick simply inside the house half and launched Barcola to run via and rating his 18th aim of the season.
Teenage ahead Mohamed Kader Meite nearly equalised for Rennes earlier than the break, heading off the crossbar from Adrien Truffert’s cross.
Barcola then turned supplier as PSG doubled their lead 5 minutes after half-time, squaring for Ramos — a kind of introduced into the beginning line-up — to web his thirteenth this season in all competitions.
Centre-back Brassier pulled one again for Rennes shortly after, heading in from shut vary after a nook had been flicked on.
Nonetheless, Luis Enrique then despatched on the cavalry, with Dembele, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Achraf Hakimi all coming off the bench for the latter levels.
PSG made certain of the factors as Hakimi ran via on aim earlier than unselfishly squaring for Dembele to make it 3-1 within the first minute of stoppage time on the finish of the sport.
Dembele then fired in his second and PSG’s fourth aim from the sting of the realm within the 94th minute.
Saturday’s different recreation sees Lille, in between the 2 legs of their Champions League last-16 tie towards Borussia Dortmund, host backside aspect Montpellier.
Lille entertain Dortmund on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 within the first leg in Germany.
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