Neymar scored one objective and laid on the opposite as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final in opposition to Manchester City with an important 2-1 win over Lens in Ligue 1 on Saturday.
Neymar netted on 33 minutes and his nook was headed residence by Marquinhos simply previous to the hour mark on the Parc des Princes, with Cameroonian ahead Ignatius Ganago pulling a objective again for Lens.
It was an enormous three factors for PSG of their try and retain the Ligue 1 title, as Mauricio Pochettino’s facet transfer provisionally two factors away from Lille on the prime of the desk.
However Lille can return to the summit by beating Nice at residence later on Saturday, whereas third-placed Monaco will return to inside a single level of PSG in the event that they defeat Lyon on Sunday.
PSG want to win their eighth Ligue 1 title in 9 years and, given how shut the title race is in France this season, they might not afford to take it simple in between the 2 legs of their Champions League tie in opposition to City.
Last season’s Champions League runners-up are up in opposition to it after dropping 2-1 at residence to Pep Guardiola’s facet within the first leg, with the return in Manchester on Tuesday.
With that match in thoughts, Kylian Mbappe was rested in opposition to Lens as he nurses a calf knock, and Pochettino made six adjustments to his line-up in complete. Angel Di Maria was additionally disregarded of the beginning XI.
Lens had crushed the Parisians at residence again in September and travelled to the capital on a run of 13 video games unbeaten that noticed them come into the weekend in fifth, simply forward of Marseille within the combat for France’s final European qualifying berth.
However PSG went forward when Argentine defender Facundo Medina tried to play the ball again in the direction of his personal objective below stress and solely succeeded in teeing up Neymar, who took a contact and scored simply his seventh Ligue 1 objective of the season.
Pablo Sarabia got here near including to PSG’s lead earlier than the break however they went 2-0 up on 59 minutes.
Marquinhos had scored with a header from a nook in opposition to City and he repeated the trick right here, heading in Neymar’s supply from the sting of the six-yard field.
Lens received one again straight from the restart as Arnaud Kalimuendo’s tried overhead kick from a Jonathan Clauss cross become an ideal help for Ganago to attain.
However, Lens couldn’t discover an equaliser and PSG thought they’d a late third objective when Mauro Icardi turned in substitute Marco Verratti’s low centre.
However, an offside flag in opposition to Verratti minimize quick the celebrations.
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