Emery: PSG a step closer to Ligue 1 crown

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Paris, March 15: Unai Emery praised French giants Paris Saint-Germain after the 10-man hosts took another step towards winning Ligue 1.

Midfielder Thiago Motta was sent off but Kylian Mbappe scored a brace as PSG overcame Angers 2-1 on Wednesday.

Motta saw red in the 16th minute for raking studs across Romain Thomas in a nasty incident and despite playing the majority of the match with 10 men at the Parc des Princes, PSG still emerged victorious thanks to Mbappe's 18th and 19th goals of the season.

PSG moved 17 points clear atop the table, though reigning champions Monaco have played one match less.

"We want to win the league and tonight we took another step towards achieving that," Emery told reporters post-match.

"The championship is very important because it shows the team's consistency over the course of the entire season. Maintaining this level of play, this rhythm, and winning at home against Angers is important.

"I think the team responded well and coped very well with the sending off of Thiago Motta. We suffered a little in the final minutes, but I think we deserved to win, and we could even have scored more. I'm very happy with the way the team played today."

Kevin Trapp has found game time hard to come by this season – the German goalkeeper limited to appearances in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue.

But Trapp made a rare league outing, just his third of the season as Alphonse Areola dropped to the bench midweek.

Reflecting on the match, Trapp lamented Motta's early red card in the French capital, saying: "It was very difficult to play with 10 men for 75 minutes. Angers played well and tried to play good football and it was a very tough game for us, especially in the final stages.

"It was important to win because these are three more precious points in the league and another home win."

Source: OPTA