Adrien Rabiot and Javier Pastore Restore PSG Ligue 1 Credentials in Toulouse Win

Paris Saint-Germain went top of Ligue 1, provisionally at least, with a 3-1 win over Toulouse at Parc des Princes on Saturday.

The defending French champions conceded two late goals in a 2-2 draw with Stade Malherbe Caen last time out, but an Adrien Rabiot double and a Thiago Silva header made sure that Wissam Ben Yedder's headed effort was only a consolation for the visitors.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc hailed his players for the result and saw the thee-point haul as absolutely vital for his team when he spoke with PSG.fr post-match.

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We played very well, we created openings and we scored. The fans in the ground saw some good football. Obviously they were three very important points, but I was also pleased with the way we got them. This provisional first place means something. We had the chance to take several times before, without ever achieving it. This afternoon, we did what we needed to do to be top of the table. It puts some pressure on our opponents.

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Following their 1-1 draw with Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, PSG looked predictably jaded for the opening 27 minutes, and it took something special for Rabiot to break the deadlock.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic brilliantly cushioned down a Javier Pastore lofted pass, and it enabled Rabiot to fire home left-footed from the edge of the penalty area. Until that point, Blanc's men had created very little.

If Rabiot's first goal was good, though, his second was sensational. The French teenager might have put the finishing touch to the move, but the credit should belong almost exclusively to Pastore.

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The Argentinian playmaker picked up the ball on the right and proceeded to dance his way around his man, making space for himself to send an enticing ball across the face of Ali Ahamada's goal for Rabiot to simply prod home for his third league goal this campaign.

It was El Flaco at his vintage best and demonstrated exactly the sort of creativity and attacking impetus that PSG have been sorely missing while he has been out nursing a calf injury since the 1-0 win over Stade Rennais at the end of January.

However, as is often the case with Les Parisiens, they switched off after they extended their lead to two goals, and their opponents hit back almost immediately.

Substitute Ben Yedder was left alone to head in after Aleksandar Pesic flicked on an Adrien Regattin free-kick, and questions should be asked of the PSG defence after Toulouse were allowed back into the match so easily.

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Ultimately, it did not matter, though. With just 16 minutes left and after a good passage of play following the introduction of the lively Jean-Christophe Bahebeck, the hosts sealed the win with a third from Silva.

The Brazilian did well to track the Frenchman's free-kick and nodded in his first goal of the season in Le Championnat. From then on, Toulouse were a spent force, and PSG could even have extended their lead further.

They did not, though, but the 3-1 win and the three points send them one clear of Olympique Lyonnais and three ahead of Olympique de Marseille before the capital club's title rivals play on Sunday.

It might not have been the most convincing of displays, but Toulouse did not put up too much resistance. Alain Casanova's men provided a physical challenge for PSG, possibly in the hope that the hosts would be weary after their Champions League exertions, but Blanc's men seemed keen to make amends for the Caen debacle, and they had too much for Le Tefece.

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Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani's inability to find the net against one of Ligue 1's weakest defences will perhaps be of concern to Le President. However, when your team are winning by a clear margin despite injuries, suspensions and an injury-sapping midweek European display, the French tactician cannot have too many complaints.

Monaco in Ligue 1 next weekend promise to be tougher to break down than Toulouse, so with the Swede suspended, Cavani will need to be at his best. The capital outfit did what they set out to do, though, which was to put pressure on both Lyon and Marseille.

If results go their way, they could still be top of Le Championnat come next Friday when Marseille host Caen.

As for Toulouse, they probably did not expect to realistically come away from Parc des Princes and will likely be targeting other fixtures for important points to help them battle against relegation. It is a concerning situation for Casanova and his players, though, as they're just two points above the drop zone and now have one of the three most porous back lines in the French top flight.

Aside from forcing Salvatore Sirigu to make one or two good saves in the PSG goal, Toulouse created little and if they are not careful, their current 12-season stay in Ligue 1 could be coming to an end.