PSG blows Lille away to warm up for Liverpool in Champions League
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PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for Liverpool with a 4-1 win over Lille on Saturday as it consolidated its runaway French league lead.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia watched the goals from the substitutes’ bench as PSG coach Luis Enrique rested the Georgia star ahead of Liverpool’s visit in the Champions League. Paris hosts the Premier League leader for the first leg of their last 16 meeting on Wednesday.
Lille, which had been fourth ahead of the 24th round, had pushed for Saturday’s game to be postponed because of its own Champions League match at Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday.
PSG showed no sympathy.
Bradley Barcola opened the scoring in the sixth minute on a rebound after Lille goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier saved Ousmane Dembelé’s initial effort.
Chevalier went on to make a string of saves as PSG made a furious start but he couldn’t stop Marquinhos from heading in the home team’s second in the 22nd.
Dembelé was left free on the right to grab the third six minutes later – his 18th of the season – and the 19-year-old Desiré Doué made it 4-0 in the 37th with a brilliant strike to the top left corner.
Lille failed to have a single effort at goal in the first half. Génésio reacted at the break with two changes, sending on Icelandic midfielder Hakon Haraldsson and 18-year-old midfielder Ethan Mbappé, Kylian Mbappé’s younger brother.
They didn’t stop the PSG fans singing in the stands, but Chevalier had less work to do than before.
Enrique made four changes at once for the last half hour, with Achraf Hakimi and Dembelé among those going off for a rest, while Kvaratskhelia and Warren Zaire-Emery came on, the latter continuing his comeback from a left ankle injury.
Canada forward Jonathan David, also a substitute, scored Lille’s consolation in the 80th on a rebound after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved Mbappé’s shot.
PSG moved 16 points clear of Marseille with its 10th straight win across all competitions. Marseille hosts Nantes on Sunday.
Earlier Saturday, Nice stayed third with a 3-1 win at Saint-Etienne, and relegation-threatened Le Havre grabbed a 4-3 win at Lens thanks to a penalty from Egyptian forward Kouka in stoppage time. It was the first time Le Havre had taken the lead in the game.
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