PARIS: Neymar starred on his return to the line-up after two games out with two goals and two assists as Paris St Germain extended their Ligue 1 lead to nine points with a 4-1 away demolition of Stade Rennes on Saturday.

The world’s most expensive player missed last weekend’s win over Lille due to suspension and sat out Wednesday’s French League Cup clash at Strasbourg after travelling back to Brazil to deal with a family matter.

But he made an immediate impact in Rennes as he struck both sides of the interval and assisted Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani to score, putting PSG on 47 points from 18 games after second-placed Monaco hammered St Etienne 4-0 on Friday at Geoffroy Guichard.

“When you see a player like Neymar, I think that all the fans who were here today, or watching on TV, they might support PSG, but if they like football they are happy to see a player like Neymar,” said PSG coach Unai Emery.

Rennes, who finished with 10 men after Benjamin Andre was sent off in the 63rd minute, replied through Firmin Mubele and stayed sixth on 25 points.

Neymar put PSG ahead in the fourth minute, turning in Mbappe’s cross from the right. Roles were reversed when teenage star Mbappe then netted from Neymar’s cross in the 17th.

Firmin Mubele halved the deficit after the break, but Rennes were reduced to 10 men when Andre picked up a second booking and Edinson Cavani netted PSG’s third on 75 minutes.

Neymar swiftly made it four as he turned home his second goal of the afternoon, while Wahbi Khazri blazed over a late penalty for Rennes after PSG centre-back Presnel Kimpembe was sent off.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2017