Ousmane Dembele scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie towards Liverpool by profitable 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 consequence allowed the Ligue 1 leaders to keep up their unbeaten document domestically this season. The Parisians are actually 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 facet 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 are in excellent situation to go and tackle Liverpool. We don’t have anything to lose and we are going to give all the pieces to attempt to qualify,” for the quarter-finals, mentioned Luis Enrique.
“It was troublesome however we put in a severe efficiency and it offers us a number of hope earlier than going to Liverpool,” the Spaniard added of his staff’s show.
Marseille crushed
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 targets 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 targets 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.
However, PSG went forward at Roazhon Park on 27 minutes as Desire 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 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 type of introduced into the line-up — to internet 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.
However, 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 phases.
PSG made certain of the factors as Hakimi ran via on purpose 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 purpose from the sting of the realm within the 94th minute.
Marseille dominated from the off at house to Lens as they appeared to cement their grip on second place.
However, they had been denied by an obstinate Lens facet 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 gained 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 sport that fell in between the 2 legs of their Champions League last-16 tie towards Borussia Dortmund.
Jonathan David scored the one purpose 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 purpose distinction.
They entertain Dortmund on Wednesday after drawing 1-1 within the first leg in Germany.
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