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 staff 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 take care of their unbeaten file domestically this season.
The Parisians at the moment are an enormous 16 factors clear on the high, with closest challengers Marseille shedding 1-0 at house to Lens afterward Saturday.
Luis Enrique’s PSG aspect had been finally snug winners regardless of the coach making eight adjustments to his line-up in between the 2 legs of the Liverpool tie, with the return at Anfield arising on Tuesday.
“We’re in good situation to go and tackle Liverpool. Now we have 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 tough however we put in a severe efficiency and it offers us numerous hope earlier than going to Liverpool,” the Spaniard added of his staff’s show.
– Marseille overwhelmed –
Barcola, Joao Neves and Willian Pacho had been the one gamers to maintain their locations for PSG towards Rennes following the 1-0 house 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 into mid-table after Habib Beye changed Jorge Sampaoli as coach in late January.
Nevertheless, PSG went forward at Roazhon Park on 27 minutes as Want Doue, one other former Rennes participant, rapidly took a free-kick simply inside the house half and launched Barcola to run by way of and rating his 18th 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 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.
Nevertheless, 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 positive of the factors as Hakimi ran by way of on objective earlier than unselfishly squaring for Dembele to make it 3-1 within the first minute of stoppage time.
Dembele then fired in his second and PSG’s fourth objective from the sting of the realm within the 94th minute.
Marseille dominated from the off at house to Lens as they regarded to cement their grip on second place.
Nevertheless, they had been denied by an obstinate Lens aspect and by some impressed goalkeeping from the guests’ Mathew Ryan.
The Australian tipped an Amine Gouiri shot onto the bar within the first half and saved from each Luis Henrique and Neal Maupay late on.
Lens, who had misplaced their final 4 matches, then received the sport within the 94th minute as Deiver Machado arrange Neil El Aynaoui to ship the sucker punch.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Lille had been 1-0 winners at house to Montpellier in a recreation that fell in between the 2 legs of their Champions League last-16 tie towards Borussia Dortmund.
Jonathan David scored the one objective early within the second half, the Canadian netting his 14th of the marketing campaign in Ligue 1.
Lille are fifth within the desk, behind Monaco in fourth on objective distinction.
They entertain Dortmund on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 within the first leg in Germany.
as/ea