IBRA POWERS PSG TO RECORD WIN
CLUB WINS FRENCH LEAGUE WITH 8 GAMES TO GO
PARIS: Four goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic spurred Paris St Germain to their fourth successive Ligue 1 title with a 9-0 rout of Troyes, becoming the first team to win the championship after 30 matches.
Ibrahimovic’s sensational nineminute hat-trick at the start of the second half followed goals from Edinson Cavani, Javier Pastore and Adrien Rabiot. Matthieu Saunier’s own goal and further strikes by Cavani and Ibrahimovic boosted the total.
PSG moved up to 77 points, 25 clear of second-place Monaco, winning the league with eight games still to play. The championship is the sixth in the club’s history and the fastest-ever Ligue 1 victory, breaking the record set by Gerard Houllier’s Olympique Lyonnais in 2007, who won the title after 33 matches.
PSG knew that victory over Troyes would secure a historic league triumph following Monaco’s 2- 2 draw at home to Reims on Friday, leaving them 22 points behind the leaders having played a game more.
They have already won the Trophy of Champions and are still in the running for the French Cup, the League Cup and the Champions League.
MUELLER, THIAGO STAR IN BAYERN’S WIN
BERLIN: Thomas Mueller and Thiago Alcantara struck twice as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich thumped We rd er Bremen 5-0 on Saturday to open an eight-point gap at the top with their first win in three games.
The Bavarians, who claimed one point from their previous two matches, terrorised visiting Werder with Kingsley Coman setting up three goals in an eye- catching dress rehearsal for the Champions League last16 second leg against Juventus next week.
“It may look easy ... but it was not,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola. “It was important to win after losing to Mainz 05 (last week).
ATLETICO STAY SECOND IN LA LIGA
MADRID: Atletico Madrid stayed eight points adrift of Barca at the top with 3- 0 win over Deportivo la Coruna thanks to goals from Saul Niguez, Antoine Griezmann and Angel Correa.
Atletico warmed up for their Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven on Tuesday with victory as they eased past an out of form Deportivo. Diego Simeone’s men have now scored three times in three consecutive league games for the first time in well over a year.
“The important thing is the goals are coming from all over the pitch,” said Simeone. “That makes us more unpredictable because we can create chances from anywhere.”