Thu, Feb 18, 2016 page20

• Edinson Cavani scores as PSG beat Chelsea 2-1

  CONFIDENCE BUILDER: Cavani scored after having lost his place in the team in recent weeks to hand Guus Hidink his first defeat since replaceing Jose Mourinho

  • AP, PARIS
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  Struggling striker Edinson Cavani came off the bench to score the winner as Paris Saint-Germain beat Chelsea 2-1 in a pulsating first leg in the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

  Cavani, who has lost his place in the side in recent weeks, latched onto a superb pass over Chelsea’s stretched defense from winger Angel di Maria and slotted through the legs of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois from a narrow angle in the 78th minute.

  “I’m happy for Eddy. I’ve said it often, because people doubt his scoring abilities, but he’s always shown he can score goals,” PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. “He was going through a very difficult period and I hope that scoring this goal gives him his confidence back.”

  

  Edinson Cavani of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates after scoring during their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg match against Chelsea at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris, France, on Tuesday.

  Photo: EPA

  Zlatan Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead with a powerful free-kick in the 39th minute, only for Chelsea to level on the stroke of halftime with a rare goal from midfielder John Obi Mikel.

  Courtois made a string of saves to keep Chelsea in contention heading into the second leg, and Spanish winger Pedro almost spoiled the home celebrations in injury time with a rasping drive into the side netting.

  “This is a very strong PSG, so I think the performance of our players was very good,” Chelsea coach Guus Hiddink said. “But we could have been more lethal in the four or five counters that we made.”

  PSG are unbeaten in domestic competition since March and in all competitions since a 1-0 reverse away to Real Madrid in the group stage on Nov. 3 last year — a run of 23 games.

  Still, Blanc’s side could regret a host of missed chances and Chelsea will fancy its chances at Stamford Bridge in three weeks’ time.

  “It’s up to us to go and score at Stamford Bridge, we will get chances and we must take them,” Blanc said.

  In the night’s other match, Benfica beat Zenit St Petersburg 1-0 in Lisbon thanks to an injury-time goal from Brazilian striker Jonas.

  Chelsea knocked out PSG in the quarter-finals two years ago and PSG won when they met at the same stage last season — with both ties settled on away goals.

  PSG’s preparations for the match were rocked by a scandal involving right back Serge Aurier, who was suspended by the club for insulting Blanc and some teammates in an expletive-filled online video.

  However, Blanc’s side came out with plenty of energy, with midfielder Marco Verratti forcing a save from Courtois and Brazilian winger Lucas shooting wide.

  Chelsea’s makeshift defense — missing injured center-halves John Terry and Kurt Zouma — was often caught in two minds, whether to sit back or push up on their opponents.

  Thankfully for the visitors, left back Cesar Azpilicueta cut out Di Maria’s defense-splitting pass to Lucas as he was breaking into the area.

  However, the visitors almost took a shock lead in the 23rd only for PSG goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to brilliantly push Diego Costa’s header onto the crossbar following left back Abdul Baba Rahman’s drifting cross.

  PSG attacked next, but Ibrahimovic — having done well to peel off his marker — delivered a poor downward header that startled Courtois only because it was so weak.

  Di Maria wasted another opportunity, but the breakthrough came after Lucas was fouled by Mikel about 25m out, and Ibrahimovic’s powerful free-kick clipped Mikel’s leg and wrong-footed Courtois.

  Ibrahimovic’s intense joy at scoring was understandable, too, given that he was harshly sent off during the first half in the second leg last season.

  However, PSG’s defense, so rarely tested in the French league, paid the price for poor marking when Costa rose brilliantly above Ibrahimovic to flick on a corner, the ball fell to Mikel and he blasted past Trapp.

  “I think the big regret tonight is conceding this goal right on halftime,” Blanc said. “I was quite angry about that. We gave the ball away four or five times before their goal.”

  While Ibrahimovic scores for fun, it was Mikel’s seventh goal in 361 career club appearances.

  Chelsea’s gleeful support chanted: “You’re not singing anymore” and from the restart, Chelsea could have scored again when Willian played in Costa.

  However, he opened his foot too much, allowing Trapp to guess the angle of his shot.

  Courtois was much busier, stopping efforts from Di Maria and Ibrahimovic and unlocking his giant frame to superbly palm away Di Maria’s curling shot.

  However, Cavani pounced to hand Hiddink his first defeat since replacing Jose Mourinho in mid-December last year.

  “Of course a defeat is never a good or nice feeling, but scoring away is always good,” Hiddink said. “We are still in the race.”
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