PARIS (AP) — Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain recovered from its Ligue 1 loss to Lyon with a 3-0 victory over relegation-threatened Nantes on Wednesday.
PSG’s home win – in a game postponed from mid-March to allow the team to better prepare for its Champions League last-16 clash with Chelsea – keeps it four points above Lens with four rounds of the French league remaining.
Kvaratskhelia opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 13th minute. It was awarded after a VAR check penalized Nantes defender Frédéric Guilbert for handball because Marquinhos’ header brushed against his arm.
Louis Leroux thought he’d equalized when he fired in a loose ball after PSG failed to deal with a free kick, but the next VAR decision also went against the visitors. After a lengthy delay, the goal was ruled out for offside.
There was nothing wrong with Desiré Doué’s brilliant goal in the 37th, when Achraf Hakimi played him through before he left fly with a fierce strike from a difficult angle inside the far corner.
Kvaratskhelia grabbed his second after the break, shimmying past two defenders and poking the ball past Anthony Lopes in the Nantes goal.
Guilbert caught Doué with a bad challenge late on but the winger was able to continue.
PSG, the title holder, faces Bayern Munich in the Champions League semifinals with the first leg in Paris on Tuesday.
Later Wednesday, Strasbourg was hosting Nice in the second French Cup semifinal after Lens defeated Toulouse 4-1 in the first on Tuesday.
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