PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain quickly got back on track after their Champions League loss to Barcelona as Ezequiel Lavezzi netted a hat-trick in a resounding 6-1 win over Lille at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
With leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic suspended, Maxwell opened the scoring inside the opening minute, Edinson Cavani netted twice and Argentine forward Lavezzi got the first hat-trick of his Ligue 1 career to hand the capital club their biggest win since April 2012 and move them three points clear of Lyon at the top of the table.
With Lille having won six of their previous seven matches to move into contention for European qualification, this looked likely to be PSG’s toughest remaining fixture as they battle it out for the title with Lyon.
However, the northern club’s normally watertight defence crumbled as they fell to their biggest top-flight defeat since a 6-1 hammering at Monaco in April 1985.
Wounded by the nature of their Champions League quarter-final loss at the hands of Barcelona, PSG came flying out of the blocks and no Lille player had touched the ball before they fell behind with just 25 seconds on the clock. Serge Aurier crossed low from the right and Maxwell’s first-time shot evaded the grasp of Vincent Enyeama in goal.
The lead had been doubled with less than four minutes played, Javier Pastore finding Cavani, who spotted Enyeama just off his line and brilliantly chipped the Nigerian goalkeeper.
Cavani then set up Lavezzi to tap in the third and he struck again from a Blaise Matuidi assist just before the break.
It was not a perfect first half for Paris coach Laurent Blanc though as he lost goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu and Aurier to injury.
Nevertheless, the outcome of the game had been put beyond doubt before Marko Basa headed in a consolation for the visitors, and the hosts then underlined their superiority by adding two more goals in the final 20 minutes.
First Cavani scored his 11th league goal of the season from the penalty spot after Lavezzi had been pushed over on the point of shooting by Sebastien Corchia, who was shown a red card for his troubles.
And then Lavezzi held off two defenders and finished neatly into the bottom-left corner to secure a superb win for the home side that is a big step towards a third consecutive league title as they bid to win an unprecedented domestic treble.
It was another high-scoring encounter following Marseille’s spectacular collapse in losing 5-3 to Lorient on Friday at the Stade Velodrome as Jordan Ayew scored twice for the struggling visitor against his old club.
A fourth consecutive defeat for Marcelo Bielsa’s side was a huge blow to their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League, and a win for third-placed Monaco at Lens on Sunday will put them five points clear of OM in the race for a podium finish.
Later on Saturday Bordeaux will have the chance to move level on points with Marseille with a win at home to bottom side Metz, while Saint-Etienne entertain Montpellier and Lyon go to Reims on Sunday. –AFP/nst
