Paris Saint-Germain have prepared for their Champions League clash against Liverpool with a 3-1 win at home to Toulouse, moving four points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Liverpool make the trip to the reigning European champions on Wednesday evening, going into the tie as clear underdogs on current form.
While the Reds were busy being comprehensively knocked out of the FA Cup by Man City on Saturday, PSG were in more impressive form the night before.
They strode to a 3-1 victory over ninth-place Toulouse at the Parc des Princes, with Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele excelling.
The Frenchman netted twice in the first half either side of a Rasmus Nicolaisen goal for the visitors, before Goncalo Ramos completed the scoring in stoppage time.
PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov made an error for the goal he conceded, though, and there are question marks over whether he should keep his place over Lucas Chevalier.
Luis Enrique made tweaks to his starting lineup in preparation for Liverpool, with key midfield pair Vitinha and Joao Neves only coming on as second-half substitutes.
Nuno Mendes, arguably the world’s best left-back, was also rested from the start, but the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Dembele played the whole 90 minutes.
PSG XI vs. Toulouse: Safonov; Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Pacho, L. Hernandez; Zaire-Emery, Beraldo, Doue; Lee, Dembele, Kvaratskhelia
Speaking after the game, Enrique was delighted with the result, not least the manner in which they performed straight after the international break.
“I’m very happy,” Enrique said.
“We knew how important these three points were, especially as this match came after the international break.
“It’s difficult to manage because we had a lot of players involved, most of them had travelled and played matches. It was the moment to win these three points.
“We played on a Friday, which made it even harder because we had one less day’s rest, but the team showed its ability to handle this match and now it’s time to enjoy the weekend with some rest for the players, some rest for the team.
The win means PSG have a four-point cushion at the top of Ligue 1 and have one game in hand on Lens, as they close in on another league title.
They look primed for Wednesday’s meeting with Liverpool and the Reds will have to be much improved to deal with such a formidable side.
PSG XI: Safonov; Hakimi, Zabarnyi, Pacho, Hernandez; Beraldo (Vitinha 67′), Zaire-Emery, Doue (Ramos 87′); Lee (Neves 59′), Dembele, Kvaratskhelia (Mendes 68′)