PSG rebound from Real gloom
PARIS: Edinson Cavani struck twice as Paris Saint-Germain beat Strasbourg 5-2 on Saturday to relieve some of the pressure on the runaway Ligue 1 leaders following their Champions League defeat at Real Madrid.
Strasbourg struck early through Jean Eudes Aholou, but PSG hit back courtesy of a Julian Draxler effort before two goals in as many minutes from Neymar and Angel Di Maria put the home side in control.
Stephane Bahoken pulled one back midway through the second half as Strasbourg threatened an unlikely comeback, but Cavani’s league-best 22nd and 23rd goals of the season ensured victory for Unai Emery’s team.
“The victory was important after the match on Wednesday. We win all our home matches,” said Emery, whose side last dropped points at the Parc des Princes in May.
“We have to show we can maintain this level of play against bigger teams, without meaning any disrespect to Strasbourg.”
He added: “We spoke about it (the Madrid defeat) in the dressing room. Of course they remember the match from Wednesday. That’s normal so it’s important to speak about positive things. We feel very strong at the Parc.”
Captain Thiago Silva and Di Maria were recalled after Emery faced criticism for dropping them for the 3-1 loss in Madrid, and the coach was whistled by a section of home supporters unhappy with the Spaniard’s decisions in midweek.
Elsewhere, Saint-Etienne secured a third win in four outings with a 1-0 victory at Angers, Montpellier drew 1-1 at home with Guingamp, and Troyes moved out of the relegation zone thanks to a 10 win over Metz.
Diafra Sakho netted his first league goals for Rennes following his January move from West Ham in a 2-2 draw away to Caen, with the hosts left to rue a pair of missed penalties.
Defending champs Monaco eased to a 4-0 home win over Dijon on Friday as Pietro Pellegri eclipsed Kylian Mbappe to become the youngest player in the club’s history.
The win, which saw Pellegri — at 16 years, 10 months and 30 days — beat Mbappe’s previous record set in December 2015, kept second-placed Monaco 12 points behind PSG.