Christopher Nkunku’s first Ligue 1 goal helped Paris Saint-Germain avoid further embarrassment with Sunday’s 2-1 win at Lorient providing some minor relief following their Champions League humiliation.
Four days after a historic meltdown in Barcelona, Edinson Cavani flicked on a corner that brushed Benjamin Jeannot and went down as an own goal to give PSG a 28th-minute lead at the Stade du Moustoir.
Nineteen-year-old Nkunku, who was left out the squad for Wednesday’s 6-1 drubbing at the Camp Nou, scored the visitors’ second on 52 minutes as his low strike dipped under Lorient goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.
Michael Ciani’s header pulled one back for the hosts but PSG secured a welcome win in the wake of a disastrous European last-16 exit to stay within three points of leaders Monaco.  
Unai Emery fielded eight of the 11 players to start against Barca earlier in the week, with only Marco Verratti, Blaise Matuidi and Lucas missing for the trip to Brittany.  
A visit to the league’s bottom side appeared an ideal tonic for the smarting French champions, but Kevin Trapp had to be alert to keep out Alhassan Wakaso’s threatening early effort.
Cavani, who looked to have secured PSG’s place in the Champions League quarter-finals before their stunning late collapse, was denied his 28th goal of the season by Lecomte moments before the away side took the lead.
The resulting corner from Angel Di Maria skipped off both the Uruguayan and Jeannot before Arnold Mvuemba inexplicably allowed the ball to squeeze past him at the near post. Lorient have conceded more goals than any other side this season and Lecomte was beaten all too easily by Nkunku when the teenager’s long-range strike flashed past him early in the second half.
And while Ciani glanced in from Sylvain Marveaux’s corner to give Lorient a glimmer of hope, PSG avoided a costly slip-up to keep pace with Monaco and deal Lorient a fifth successive reverse.

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