PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain brushed off the absence of Neymar to ease into the French League Cup quarterfinals with a 4-2 victory at Strasbourg on Wednesday. The Ligue 1 leaders gained a measure of revenge for their shock 2-1 league defeat by Strasbourg less than a fortnight ago as they started their bid for a fifth straight League Cup title.
PSG will take on Amiens in the last eight, after the newly-promoted top-flight club edged out second-tier Tours 2-1. “We needed to improve from the league game and the team was more focused from the start,” said PSG coach Unai Emery. “Maybe we could have scored more goals and played better after it went to 4-2, but we are still happy.”
With Neymar having only just returned from a visit to his native Brazil, Emery opted to play Edinson Cavani up front on his own with Kylian Mbappe on the bench.
Home hopes of a repeat performance for Strasbourg were dashed in only the 12th minute, as Yoann Salmier sliced Angel Di Maria’s cross into his own net.
Argentina international Di Maria made it two midway through the first half, capitalising on a goalkeeping error by Alexandre Oukidja to slot in his fourth goal of the season. But Strasbourg pulled one back before half-time against the run of play as midfielder Jeremy Grimm, who has been with the club throughout their rise from the third tier, slotted into the corner. The hosts resistance was finally ended when Thomas Meunier crossed for fellow full-back Dani Alves to tap in from close range. — AFP
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