Blanc: Summit return a sign

Laurent Blanc wants to see PSG’s return to the top of Ligue 1 have a positive psychological impact on his players.

Laurent Blanc hopes PSG’s return to the top of Ligue 1 will provide them with the psychological boost to bolster their title bid.

The two-time reigning champions went into the weekend in third place, having squandered a two-goal lead to draw with Caen last weekend.

But Blanc’s men heeded the lessons of that result to beat Toulouse 3-1 thanks to two goals from Adrien Rabiot and one from Thiago Silva, after Wissam Ben Yedder had pulled one back for the lowly visitors.

PSG may only be on top until Marseille and Lyon are back in action on Sunday, but the manager was pleased with his side’s overall display and wants them to recognise the scale of the task ahead.

“What I like is that we created chances and we scored goals, while having a good defensive base,” he told francefootball.fr.

“There have been three or four times that we had the opportunity to take first place and we didn’t. 

“This may be a sign. Certainly, it is temporary, but it is perhaps a collective awareness that there are more points to lose. 

“It is always positive to be first and have 52 points in 26 games, it makes two points per game. At this rate, we’re not far from the title. 

“There is more to do, but despite some flaws in our game, poorly negotiated home matches and some dropped points before and after the Champions League, we are still there and it’s very encouraging for the future.”