Zlatan Ibrahimovic and substitute Edinson Cavani both scored twice on Saturday as Paris Saint-Germain won their first trophy of the season by retaining the Coupe de la Ligue with a 4-0 win over 10-man SC Bastia.
Ibrahimovic, who missed last season’s final through injury, opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Sebastien Squillaci was sent off, and doubled the lead just before half-time. Cavani added more luster to the win in the closing stages of the match with a fine header and a cool finish at the end of a counterattack.
PSG are chasing an unprecedented quadruple, as Laurent Blanc’s side also made it to the Coupe de France final and lead the Ligue 1 standings. However, they will be without Ibrahimovic next week against Barcelona in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and the Sweden striker will miss also miss four matches of the domestic season after receiving another ban for criticizing a referee.
Photo: EPA
“We are ready for Barcelona,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said.
Ibrahimovic has been in tremendous form recently, scoring a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over AS Saint-Etienne in the Coupe de France semi-finals last week and bagging 13 goals in his last seven appearances for club and country.
Once again, he was the man-of-the-match at the Stade de France.
With David Luiz and Thiago Motta both out with injuries, Serge Aurier returned to the PSG defense and Adrien Rabiot was given a starting role in midfield. In a tight start to the game, PSG created the first chance in the fourth minute when Ibrahimovic collected a long pass in the box following a free-kick from Ezequiel Lavezzi, but the tall Swede was flagged offside.
PSG had a penalty claim turn down soon after when Gael Danic touched the ball with his right arm inside the box. However, referee Benoit Bastien pointed to the spot in the 20th minute after Squillaci brought Ezequiel Lavezzi down, with the former Arsenal player receiving a straight red card for his foul.
Second on PSG’s all-time top goalscorers list behind Pedro Pauleta with 104 goals, Ibrahimovic made no mistake from the spot, sending goalkeeper Alphonse Areola the wrong way with a shot in the top left corner.
Squillaci’s red card forced Bastia coach Ghislain Printant to change his strategy, with Mathieu Peybernes coming on for Danic. The move did not make a big difference as PSG took complete control of the match and overwhelmed Bastia in midfield.
Pegged back in their own half, Bastia fought back PSG’s relentless attacks for 20 minutes, but a poor headed clearance from Peybernes fell into Ibrahimovic’s path, with the Swede chesting down the ball before unleashing a low shot at the near post to double the lead.
PSG continued to apply pressure after the interval and went close in the 48th minute when Pastore saw his angled shot end just wide at the far post.
PSG goalkeeper Nicolas Douchez enjoyed a quiet evening and Florian Marange failed to convert Bastia’s first opportunity in the 56th minute, sending his header just wide.
Bastia tried everything in the closing stages of the game, but lacked a cutting edge and were caught on the break when Cavani struck a perfect header at the far post from Aurier’s cross to make it 3-0 with 10 minutes remaining.
Another PSG counterattack brought another goal in added time, with Cavani curling a shot past Areola from Ibrahimovic’s assist, PSG claiming their fifth Coupe de la Ligue.
“The match was over after 20 minutes following the penalty and the sending off,” Marange said. “We knew the referee would not make us any gift.”
While British star Jack Draper spent the past week trying to find rhythm and comfort in his first grass tournament of the season at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, Jiri Lehecka on Saturday bulldozed everything in his path. After more than two furious hours of battle, their form was reflected in the final scoreline as Lehecka toppled a frustrated Draper, the second seed, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 to reach the biggest final of his career, against Carlos Alcaraz. Lehecka is also the first Czech to reach the men’s title match at Queen’s since Ivan Lendl lifted the trophy in 1990. Draper, who
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
The Canterbury Crusaders edged the Waikato Chiefs 16-12 in an intense Super Rugby Pacific final battle in Christchurch yesterday to claim their 15th title in 30 years of the Southern Hemisphere competition. Hooker Codie Taylor scored a try and Rivez Reihana contributed 11 points from the kicking tee as the most dominant team in Super Rugby history extended their perfect home playoff record to 32 successive matches since 1998. The Chiefs, who were looking for a first title since 2013, scored first-half tries through George Dyer and Shaun Stevenson, but were unable to register a point after the break and fell to
REUNION: Former Barcelona players Luis Suarez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba and Miami coach Javier Mascherano are to face their former coach Luis Enrique Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi faces a tantalizing reunion with former club Paris Saint-Germain in the FIFA Club World Cup last 16 after both sides on Monday progressed to the knockout phase. Miami drew 2-2 with Palmeiras to go through second in Group A, after the Brazilian side fought back from two goals down to seal top spot. They now face an all-Brazil clash against Botafogo, who lost 1-0 to Atletico Madrid, but progressed from Group B in second at the expense of the Spaniards. Champions of Europe PSG won the group with a 2-0 victory over Seattle Sounders, paving the