PSG forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring during the French L1 match against Bastia (SCB) at the Armand Cesari Stadium in Bastia, Corsica, yesterday.
PARIS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic was at his enigmatic best as champions Paris Saint-Germain continued their inexorable march towards retaining the Ligue 1 title with a 3-0 win at Bastia yesterday.
The big Swedish forward scored the opening goal and then set up Ezequiel Lavezzi for the second with an outrageous back-flick.
He also teed up the diminutive Argentine for the killer third two minutes from time with a headed flick-on.
The result sent PSG 11 points clear of their only remaining potential title rivals Monaco, who can cut the gap back to eight points with a home win over lowly Sochaux.
This was the fifth straight win for Laurent Blanc’s PSG team since a 1-1 draw at Monaco in the league in early February and the team have racked up 16 goals in that period.
“Our aim is to win matches, if that allows us to stretch out the gap we’d be delighted,” said Blanc.
“There is one team hanging on, Monaco, and if they win they’ll come back to eight points (behind).
“That’s a lot but they’re also having a good campaign. We have to take heed, everyone can go through a sticky patch.”
Deprived of record-signing Edinson Cavani, held over in Uruguay for personal reasons, they even could afford the luxury of keeping centre-back Thiago Silva on the bench throughout the game ahead of Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 second leg tie with Bayer Leverkusen.
Although that tie looks to be nothing more than a formality having already won the away leg 4-0.
“Winning matches is always the best preparation,” said Blanc looking forward to the Leverkusen clash.
“This week was a little complicated to prepare the trip (to Bastia) with internationals all over the place.
“But we can be sure that whatever team we pick, mentally they will be ready.”
Ibrahimovic opened the scoring on six minutes after a bright opening from the visitors in Corsica.
Brazilian Lucas Moura made the most of the start Cavani’s absence afforded him to cross from the right for Ibrahimovic to leap high above his marker and use the strength to direct a bullet header into the top corner despite stretching for the ball.
On 19 minutes he turned provider with the kind of genius only Ibrahimovic, in this league, is capable of, picking out Lavezzi with a back-heeled, volleyed pass despite looking the other way.
The Argentine outpaced the defence and nonchalantly prodded the ball past goalkeeper Jean-Louis Leca.
And Lavezzi was the beneficiary once again from Ibrahimovic’s instinctive vision, although centre-back Sebastien Squillaci was partly to blame for failing to cut out the Swede’s flick-on, while Leca’s ill-advised rush from his line also helped make the Argentine’s job easier.
On Friday night Marseille’s hopes of snatching the third and final Champions League qualifying berth were dented by their third defeat this season to Cote d’Azur rivals Nice.
Valentin Eysseric scored the only goal of the game with a free-kick midway through the second half at the Stade Velodrome.
On Friday, French giants Marseille’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League suffered a huge blow with a 1-0 defeat at home to struggling Nice in the Cote d’Azur derby.
Marseille coach Jose Anigo had complained before the game about the quick turnaround just 48 hours after Wednesday’s international friendlies.
And his fears proved justified as the former European champions produced a poor display and fell to Valentin Eysseric’s sumptuous 66th-minute free-kick.
But he insisted the lack of suspended striker Andre-Pierre Gignac played a greater role.
Agencies
