Showing posts with label Laurent Blanc. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Laurent Blanc. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Avenging Ibrahimovic fires PSG past Chelsea


LONDON -- Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored one and created another as Paris Saint-Germain won 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday to eliminate Chelsea from the Champions League for the second season running.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg of the last 16 tie, PSG stretched their lead when Ibrahimovic crossed for Adrien Rabiot to tap in and although Diego Costa's slick finish gave Chelsea hope, Ibrahimovic volleyed home in the 67th minute to complete a 4-2 aggregate success.

Victory took Laurent Blanc's PSG into the quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row, while Chelsea were left to contemplate a first season without Champions League football since 2002-03.

"I thought we controlled the game very well from start to finish," Blanc said.

"Even when we conceded, we weren't worried. We carried on working. That control made the evening easier for us."

Ten points off the top four in the Premier League, Chelsea's hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are paper-thin and their chances of keeping their season alive in Saturday's FA Cup quarter-final at Everton were jeopardised by injuries to Costa and Eden Hazard.

"They are a good side, but once we stepped up we had some chances. In the 67th minute it all changed," said Chelsea interim manager Guus Hiddink.

"It is a difficult season. We were almost panicking about relegation when I came in, but it is difficult to get into fourth place."

Much of the pre-game attention had focused on Costa and Ibrahimovic, and it was PSG's Swedish talisman who emerged triumphant as the French champions claimed further revenge for their elimination by Chelsea in 2014.

Sent off at Stamford Bridge a year ago, when PSG's 2-2 draw took them through on away goals, he belied doubts about his big-game temperament to keep the runaway Ligue 1 leaders on course for a potential quadruple.

- Motta careless -

Marco Verratti's failure to recover from a groin injury meant that Rabiot started in midfield for PSG and he almost cost his side an early goal with a loose pass that culminated in Kevin Trapp parrying from Costa.

But with Angel di Maria and Lucas Moura abandoning their wings at will, PSG's attack bristled with menace and in the sixth minute stand-in Chelsea captain Branislav Ivanovic had to slide a shot from Di Maria off the line after he had been played in by Lucas.

Ten minutes later PSG tightened their grip on the tie as Di Maria played a pass behind the Chelsea defence for Ibrahimovic, whose masterful low cross was turned in by Rabiot.

Leading 3-1 on aggregate, it should have been the cue for PSG to take the sting out of the game, but instead they allowed Chelsea to level on the night with a goal that owed equally to Thiago Motta's carelessness in possession and the hosts' dazzling interplay.

After Pedro Rodriguez nipped in to rob Motta, Willian played a quick one-two with the Spaniard before feeding Costa, who expertly turned Thiago Silva and drilled home left-footed.

Ibrahimovic put a header straight at Thibaut Courtois from a Lucas cross, but the hosts finished the half with the wind in their sails, Cesc Fabregas, Hazard and Costa all going close to levelling the tie.

Costa had another sight of goal early in the second half, David Luiz blocking his shot from Willian's cut-back, but the Spain international, who had been a constant menace, had to go off on the hour after appearing to hurt his calf, with Bertrand Traore replacing him.

Hiddink's side came close to making light of Costa's departure, but Trapp produced a sharp double-save to thwart Willian and then Hazard, and within two minutes the tie was over.

Motta's astute pass to the left found Di Maria in acres of space and his fine cross was volleyed in emphatically by Ibrahimovic.

Chelsea's mood darkened yet further with 14 minutes remaining when Hazard limped off, but their fire had already burnt itself out.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Sunday, February 14, 2016

LIGUE 1: PSG warm up for Chelsea clash with Lille draw


PARIS, France -- A much-changed Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League showdown with Chelsea with a low-key goalless draw at home to struggling Lille at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.

Edinson Cavani had the best chance for the runaway Ligue 1 leaders but somehow missed the target with the goal gaping in the second half.

The result ended a run of 16 consecutive wins in all competitions but it did allow Laurent Blanc's side to extend their record-breaking unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to 35 matches and left them still undefeated domestically since March last year.

Lille will be delighted with a point that boosts their fight against relegation, but this was a Paris side missing top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, captain Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta and Maxwell.

That quartet were all rested with one eye on Tuesday's last-16, first leg at home to an improving Chelsea, and Blanc made eight changes altogether to the side that beat Lyon 3-0 in the French Cup in midweek.

Of the likely starting line-up against the Premier League side, only goalkeeper Kevin Trapp, David Luiz, Blaise Matuidi and Angel Di Maria started, while Marco Verratti was back on the bench after being troubled by injury recently.

"We needed to avoid injuries and we did so. All that was missing was the two points we dropped," said Blanc.

"We could have played better but I can't knock my players for their spirit. We had five or six clear chances but Lille never gave up and I am quite satisfied. This match was difficult to play for multiple reasons."

Lille were without their biggest creative threat Sofiane Boufal due to suspension and Portugal striker Eder, freshly arrived on loan from Swansea City, was absent due to injury.

- Backs to the wall -

It was always going to be a backs to the wall job for the away side but they have the meanest defence in the division after their opponents and were rarely troubled in the first half.

Vincent Enyeama saved well from young forward Jean-Kevin Augustin and Layvin Kurzawa saw his header cleared off the line in a first period low on excitement.

Verratti, the Italy midfielder, replaced Javier Pastore at the start of the second half and Paris passed up a glorious chance to open the scoring in the 56th minute.

Nigerian keeper Enyeama dropped a cross from the PSG left and the ball fell to Cavani, who somehow contrived to blast the ball high and wide despite being left with a gaping goal.

Enyeama then saved from a deflected shot by Lucas, who had come on for Di Maria, as Lille held out for the first goalless draw at the Parc des Princes in Ligue 1 since December 2014.

PSG are still a huge 25 points clear at the top of the table from Monaco, who visit Saint-Etienne on Sunday.

Nice, in third, host Marseille on Sunday when Lyon are at home to Caen.

Nantes moved up to fifth on Saturday evening by beating near neighbours Lorient 2-1 with Adryan and Emiliano Sala getting their goals as the Canaries made it 15 games unbeaten between league and cup.

Bordeaux bounced back from losing to Nantes in the French Cup in midweek by winning 4-2 in an entertaining encounter at Guingamp.

Bottom club Troyes got just their second win of the season, beating Gazelec Ajaccio 3-2 away to pull the Corsicans back into the relegation zone.

Montpellier climbed out of the bottom three by beating Toulouse 2-0 while Bastia got their first away win of the season, 1-0 at Reims.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com