Ligue 1 round-up: Paris Saint-Germain back into second after Guingamp victory
Sunday 9 April 2017 22:28, UK
Paris Saint-Germain moved back into second place in Ligue 1 and narrowed the gap on league leaders Monaco to three points with a 4-0 victory over Guingamp at the Parc des Princes.
Despite the comprehensive scoreline, Unai Emery's team did not have it all their own way and were made to wait for the win with the goals not coming until after half-time, when Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani scored in quick succession.
Cavani then got his name on the score sheet again midway through the second half and Blaise Matuidi put the icing on the cake with a strike in injury time.
The match was played at pedestrian pace during the first half, although PSG still created a couple of chances. Cavani crashed a header against the crossbar after 17 minutes and Guingamp goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson produced a fine save to deny Matuidi just before the interval.
The breakthrough came after 56 minutes when Cavani played in Di Maria with a lovely left-foot pass and his fellow South American delicately chipped the ball over Johnsson.
PSG doubled their lead with an hour on the clock when Cavani collected Adrien Rabiot's pass and cut inside a defender before curling the ball round the goalkeeper and into the far corner of the net.
Cavani twice went close to a second goal of the game as first Johnsson kept out an effort with great reactions before another attempt shortly afterwards skimmed the top of the crossbar.
The Uruguayan could not be denied much longer though and - after 70 minutes - he netted his 42nd goal of the season in all competitions as Di Maria returned the favour and set him up for another lovely finish from the edge of the box.
Matuidi completed the scoring in the second minute of stoppage time when he got on the end of Lucas Moura's cross and turned the ball home off the inside of the post.
Earlier on Sunday, Marseille battled to a stalemate at Toulouse as they failed to move into the top five.
Victory would have seen OM leapfrog Bordeaux in the last European place but they had to settle for a 0-0 draw at Stadium Municipal.
The hosts came closest to breaking the deadlock after just 10 minutes, Martin Braithwaite hitting the crossbar from a good position.
Marseille were much improved after the interval, France international Dimitri Payet to the fore as the game progressed, but could not find the net.
St Etienne also lost ground in their attempts to chase down fifth-placed Bordeaux after drawing 1-1 at home with Nantes, who led through Prejuce Nakoulma's early strike.
The hosts, now without a victory at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard for two months, equalised midway through the second half when Benjamin Corgnet scored but St Etienne could not find a winning goal.