Paris Saint-Germain‘s heavily rotated team were forced into extra-time in the last-16 of the French Cup but finished with a flourish as Julian Draxler, teenager Moussa Diaby and Edinson Cavani rescued victory against third-division Villefranche. 

The minnows were the home side but the match took place 35 minutes away from their 3,200-capacity ground at Lyon’s 59.000-capacity Olympic Stadium.

PSG boss Thomas Tuchel clearly had one eye on next week’s Champions League tie against Manchester United with Kylian Mbappe, Cavani and Thiago Silva among the stars left out of the starting line-up. 

Julian Draxler struck in extra-time to rescue Paris Saint-Germain in last-16 of the French Cup

Edinson Cavani put Draxler through and let out a roar of relief for the French Cup holders

Teenage forward Moussa Diaby (back) secured the result deep in extra-time as he celebrated

Cavani, having put Draxler through for the opener, sealed the win with seconds left in the tie

It was all smiles for the Uruguayan as he played a key role in the late revival from the visitors

But those who came in – the likes of former Stoke City forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – did little to boost their case in asking for more minutes as they lacked creativity and nous to put the minnows to the sword. 

Tuchel, looking to avoid another game piling up, turned to Mbappe and Cavani in search of the star quality needed to get a goal with time running out. 

Villefrance threw bodies on the line and defended valiantly, particularly after the introduction of Mbappe and Cavani. 

The contest went into extra-time, the bewilderment as to PSG’s struggles reverberating around the crowd, but in the end Draxler converted after being played in by Cavani to ease the nerves.

There was still time for 19-year-old striker Diaby to get himself a senior goal for PSG with Villefranche running out of steam late on. 

Coasting to the French Cup title last season, it took late heroics in Lyon, where they lost in the league ensure the defending champions squeezed through to the quarter-finals.  

Kylian Mbappe was chucked on in the second half to spare the blushes of the Ligue 1 leaders

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was given a rare start as Thomas Tuchel heavily rotated his side

The likes of Thiago Silva (left) and goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon watched the tie from the bench

Instead of Villefranche’s 3,200-capacity ground, the tie was played 35 minutes away in Lyon

PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola was forced into an acrobatic save during a close contest

Young attacking starlet Christopher Nkunku was given a rare chance to impress from the start

Draxler struggled to have much of an impact for much of the game before netting a vital goal

Mbappe was brought on in the second half and he proved tricky for the Villefranche defenders

Manchester United‘s players could be taken on a warm weather training trip for the second time in less than three months.

Interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team spent four nights in Dubai in January and beat Tottenham, Brighton and Arsenal upon their return.

According to The Sun, Solskjaer is plotting another jaunt which would likely take place in the build-up to this month’s Premier League clash with rivals Liverpool.

Manchester United’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is said to fancy another warm weather training trip

Solskjaer, pictured with Mike Phelan, could take his team away to escape the cold this month

United host Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, February 24 — six days after they visit Chelsea in the FA Cup.

It is claimed that Solskjaer has left three days free on his players’ schedules after the Chelsea game with the idea of an overseas training camp on his mind.

Solskjaer’s plan is said to be dependent on the results of United’s next three matches — they play Fulham at Craven Cottage then host PSG in the first leg of a Champions League last 16 tie, before meeting Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

Three days after playing Liverpool — who beat United 3-1 at Anfield in Jose Mourinho’s final game in charge — Solskjaer’s men are due to take on Crystal Palace in the League at Selhurst Park.

United visited Dubai in February and won three games in a row after returning to England

Striker Romelu Lukaku poses for photograph during United’s four-night trip to the Middle East

Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas said he can start his season this week with ‘no pressure’ having finally made his big breakthrough in 2018.

The Team Sky rider dethroned team mate Chris Froome last year to become the third Briton since 2012 to win the Tour.

Team Sky’s Geraint Thomas become the third Briton since 2012 to win the Tour last year

‘It’s strange when you reach the pinnacle, something I’ve dreamt of doing, it takes all the pressure off now,’ Thomas said in an interview with the BBC.

‘Now I’m just going to enjoy racing, riding my bike and the challenges that brings. But I’ve reached it now. I’ve done it.’

Despite saying he feels like he has ‘unfinished business’ on the Giro d’Italia, where he crashed out in 2017 while in second place overall, Thomas confirmed he will definitely miss the Italian race to concentrate on the Tour de France.

Thomas said he can start his season with ‘no pressure’ following his big breakthrough in 2018

‘Maybe I’ll race it next year but this year has always been about the Tour,’ he said.

‘I did not want to jeopardise the chances of the Tour for anything this year. As defending champion I feel as if I have to go back and want to be in the best shape possible.’

Thomas got his season under way this week at the five-stage Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana in southern Spain — his first race since last September’s Tour of Britain.

The 32-year-old said he will not be expecting much from the Spanish race as he gets up to speed.

‘I’m in good enough shape to race, but I wouldn’t say I’ll be going for a podium or a win, it’s just a case of getting going again,’ he said. ‘My initial goals are in April.

‘I want to go to the Tour and get there in the best shape possible.’

Thomas opened his account at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana with a 13th-placed finish in the time trial.

‘I could have ridden it a bit better and saved myself for that climb a little bit more. But that was a good hit out and same again for the next few days,’ he said after the stage. 

Katie Boulter gave Great Britain the perfect start to their first home Fed Cup tie in 26 years by winning the opening rubber of the match against Slovenia.

Britain are in Group 1 of the Europe/Africa Zone of the women’s team tournament and are hoping to get to the World Group II play-off in April if they come out on top of the round-robin event in Bath.

And they are heading in the right direction after British No 2 Boulter beat Kaja Juvan 6-4, 6-2 in the first singles match.

Katie Boulter celebrates after defeating Slovenia’s Kaja Juvan to put Great Britain one up

Boulter, the British No 2, is congratulated by Great Britain Fed Cup captain Anne Keothavong

Boulter, who reached the second round of the Australian Open last month, was playing her first Fed Cup singles match, but showed no nerves and claimed the first set courtesy of a break in the fifth game.

Another break in the opening game of the second set gave Boulter even more confidence and when she took Juvan’s serve for a third time, she was able to serve the match out.

Boulter was pleased to get an early win on the board to set her team up.

Boulter is building on her second-round finish at the Australian Open in Melbourne last month

Harriet Dart (centre) and Katie Swan show their support for Boulter during Wednesday’s match

‘I was a little nervous, everybody would feel like that in my position, but I had a great team around me to put me in the right place mentally,’ she said.

‘I like to think I am someone who rises to the occasion.

‘I didn’t mind (playing first) too much, there’s a lot of pressure to start off but I thought I did well to start and get a win for the team.’

Johanna Konta will try and get Britain’s next point on the board in this best-of-three tie when she is next up against Dalila Jakupovic before a doubles match.

The University of Bath is hosting this week’s Fed Cup tie between Great Britain and Slovenia

Britain are also in a group with Greece and Hungary, while Croatia, Turkey, Serbia and Georgia are in the other pool.

Croatia got their campaign off to a winning start with a 2-1 victory over Turkey, while Serbia beat Georgia by the same scoreline.

The winners of each group will play each other to determine who advances to the play-offs in April.