Paris (AFP)

Paris SG, winner in Montpellier with Kylian Mbappé's 100th goal in this jersey (3-1), took a four-point lead in the Ligue 1 standings, while Rennes continued their disastrous series by losing against Lens (2 -0), Saturday for the 13th day.

With a reorganized team a few days after the good performance in the Champions League at Manchester United (3-1), the Parisians struggled for a long time, as in their last two L1 matches (defeat against Monaco 3-2 then draw against Bordeaux 2 -2).

But Moïse Kean ended up giving the advantage to his people in the 77th minute with a spectacular strike, and Mbappé, preserved on the bench for nearly 80 minutes, reinforced the addition (90th + 1), thus stacking his 10th goal of the season.

It is especially the 100th in the Parisian jersey for the world champion, who had not scored in the last three meetings in all competitions but remains above all on nine Champions League matches without finding the net.

It was not easy for Paris before the end of the match, with an experimental eleven who had some weaknesses, especially on the equalizer of Stephy Mavididi after Colin Dagba opened the scoring in the first period.

Coach Thomas Tuchel had indeed already planned on the last day of the C1 group stage, Tuesday against Istanbul Basaksehir where PSG must validate his qualification: Neymar, Presnel Kimpembe and Marco Verratti were left to rest, while Marquinhos remained on the bench.

But in the end, Tuchel won his bet, both at the accounting level and in terms of rest for his executives.

The Parisians, with 28 points, give themselves air in a very congested standings, where OM, second with four points less, still have two games late to play.

Sunday, the last matches of the 13th day will be able to shake up the hierarchy: Lille and Monaco, respectively third and fifth with a number of points identical to that of Montpellier (23), face each other at 13:00, while Lyon, interspersed between Losc and the ASM with 23 points also, moves to Metz at 21:00.

Even Angers (9th, 19 points), opposed to Lorient (3:00 pm), can make a close in case of victory!

- Rennes sinks and Stéphan wonders -

Rennes could have hoped to join in this close fight, but the Bretons are in great difficulty and have not taken their heads out of the water, on the contrary.

Ineffective and surprised against Lens at home by goals from Arnaud Kalimuendo and Ignatius Ganago, Julien Stéphan's men have chained an eighth defeat in ten matches in all competitions.

Three days after their failure in the Champions League in Krasnodar (1-0), synonymous with elimination of all European cups this season, the Rennes are at their worst and the situation has taken an even more dramatic turn with the fatalistic statements of Stéphan at the end of the meeting.

"We are in an extremely negative spiral. We have the obligation to immediately reconsider the objectives", reacted the coach, considering that it was now necessary "to have the behavior of a team which will have to fight for the maintenance ".

The standings are there to confirm it: before hosting Sevilla on Tuesday in a game without a stake in C1, Rennes is only eighth with 19 points, and has only taken one out of twelve possible in the last four met.

© 2020 AFP