PSG edge out Lyon to stay on tail of leaders Monaco

Posted Monday, March 20, 2017 by PA

Paris St Germain kept up the chase of Ligue 1 leaders Monaco with a 2-1 comeback victory over Lyon at the Parc des Princes.

Monaco's 3-0 win at Caen earlier on Sunday had opened up a six-point lead over Unai Emery's PSG.

But first-half goals from Adrien Rabiot and Julian Draxler - both assisted by Javier Pastore - wiped out Alexandre Lacazette's early effort and calmed Parisian nerves.

This was PSG's first home game since their incredible Champions League collapse against Barcelona 11 days ago and there were clear signs of a Nou Camp hangover.

Rafael rose well to touch on Mathieu Valbuena's sixth-minute corner and Lacazette escaped the attention of Maxwell at the far post to nod home his 28th goal of the season.

It almost got worse for PSG three minutes later when goalkeeper Kevin Trapp hesitated at another Valbuena corner.

Trapp got a touch to Mouctar Diakhaby's header and that allowed Maxwell to bundle the ball clear on the goal-line.

Apart from an early effort from Julian Draxler, PSG had caused Lyon few problems and the visitors looked more than capable of building on their Europa League success against Roma.

But the French champions burst into life after 34 minutes when the outstanding Pastore played a one-two with Angel Di Maria and stretched Lyon for the first time.

Pastore picked out Rabiot with a clever square pass and the midfielder stroked home his third goal of the season from 12 yards.

Di Maria soon forced an athletic save from Anthony Lopes, but PSG went ahead five minutes before half-time with Pastore again the provider.

This time he surged down the left to set up Draxler's fourth goal since the Germany midfielder joined from Wolfsburg in January.

Lacazette was replaced in the Lyon attack soon after half-time, although it was unclear whether the France forward had suffered an injury.

With Lyon's attacking threat increasingly sporadic, PSG might have given themselves some breathing space in the second half.

Pastore almost claimed a hat-trick of assists after his clever lob caught out a static Lyon defence but Edinson Cavani could not keep his shot down and the ball flew over Lopes' crossbar.

The margin of victory should have been even greater in the closing stages when Di Maria and substitute Blaise Matuidi fired just wide.

And Cavani's frustrating evening continued when he was unable to get on the end of a Lucas Moura cross played behind the Uruguayan.