Dembélé grabs brace as PSG warm up for Liverpool with comfortable win over Toulouse

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PARIS (AP) — Ousmane Dembélé scored twice in the first half as Paris Saint-Germain beat Toulouse 3-1 and increased its lead of Ligue 1 to four points on Friday.

The game was brought forward to give PSG more recovery time ahead of next Wednesday’s Champions League quarterfinal with Liverpool at the Parc des Princes.

PSG came into the match having scored 12 goals in its last three games and it took the lead midway through the opening period when Dembélé crashed a superb volley into the top corner from the edge of the 18-yard box.

However, four minutes later goalkeeper Matvey Safonov could not secure a wicked in-swinging corner and Rasmus Nicolaisen headed home the rebound to level the scores.

Dembélé restored PSG’s lead 12 minutes before halftime. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia headed on a corner kick and former Dortmund and Barcelona forward Dembélé was on hand to side-foot the ball over the line.

He had a third goal disallowed for offside in a second half dominated by the home side but it wasn’t until stoppage time that PSG added a third, substitute Gonçalo Ramos stroking home with his right foot from 25 meters.

The result lifted PSG four points clear of Lens, which travels to fifth-placed Lille on Saturday for the Derby du Nord.

Toulouse remained in ninth place.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer