Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday brushed off the absence of Neymar to ease into the Coupe de la Ligue quarter-finals with a 4-2 victory at Strasbourg.
The Ligue 1 leaders gained a measure of revenge for their shock 2-1 league defeat by Strasbourg less than two weeks ago as they started their bid for a fifth straight Coupe de la Ligue title.
PSG will take on Amiens SC in the last eight, after the newly promoted top-flight club edged out second-tier Tours 2-1.
“We needed to improve from the league game and the team was more focused from the start,” PSG coach Unai Emery said. “Maybe we could have scored more goals and played better after it went to 4-2, but we are still happy.”
With Neymar having only just returned from a visit to his native Brazil, Emery opted to play Edinson Cavani up front on his own with Kylian Mbappe on the bench.
Home hopes of a repeat performance for Strasbourg were dashed in only the 12th minute, as Yoann Salmier sliced Angel di Maria’s cross into his own net.
Argentina international Di Maria made it two midway through the first half, capitalizing on a goalkeeping error by Alexandre Oukidja to slot in his fourth goal of the season.
However, Strasbourg pulled one back before halftime against the run of play as midfielder Jeremy Grimm, who has been with the club throughout their rise from the third tier, slotted into the corner.
The hosts battled hard in the second period, but their resistance was finally ended when Thomas Meunier crossed for fellow fullback Dani Alves to tap in from close range.
Germany international Julian Draxler impressed in a three-man attacking midfield alongside Di Maria and Javier Pastore, and drilled in to end a nine-game goal drought for club and country.
Jeremy Blayac came off the bench to score a late consolation for Strasbourg, but PSG had long since secured their place in the quarters.
Elsewhere, a much-changed Olympique Lyonnais were stunned in a 4-1 defeat at Montpellier Herault, despite taking a 10th-minute lead through teenager Myziane Maolida, as Souleymane Camara scored twice for the hosts.
OGC Nice goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale was the hero as Lucien Favre’s men edged past managerless Lille OSC on penalties after Mario Balotelli had rescued a 1-1 draw for the visitors.
AS Monaco are to be Nice’s last-eight opponents, after the principality outfit saw off Stade Malherbe Caen on Tuesday.
Stade Rennais beat Olympique de Marseille in a penalty shoot-out after an entertaining 2-2 draw at Roazhon Park, where Kostas Mitroglou and Valere Germain scored for the visitors, but to no avail.
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