BORDEAUX — Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria stole the show in Paris Saint Germain’s 3-0 win at Bordeaux Friday in an ideal warm-up for next week’s Champions League clash with Barcelona.
PSG joined Monaco on 55 points at the top of Ligue 1 but remains second on goal difference.
Marco Verratti was back for PSG after sitting out their last four games with a calf injury. He joined his fellow Italian Thiago Motta — suspended for the Barcelona game — and Adrien Rabiot in midfield.
PSG coach Unai Emery also welcomed back first choice keeper Kevin Trapp with the German enjoying a generally hassle free return to work.
Thiago Silva was given the night off to freshen up for the Valentine’s Day Champions League last 16 first leg date with Barcelona at the Parc des Princes Tuesday.
The captain’s shoes in central defense against the side PSG had knocked out of the French Cup quarterfinals were filled by Presnel Kimpembe.
As in that 4-1 defeat last month that propelled PSG into a fourth straight Cup final it was Cavani and Di Maria who starred.
Cavani’s neatly executed one-touch volley put PSG into a sixth minute lead after Vokasin Jovanovic’s failed attempt to head Marquinhos’ cross from the right out of danger.
Unfortunately for the Bordeaux defender Cavani was on hand to work his magic and take his Ligue 1 haul to a personal best ever 24 goals from only 25 games.
With PSG bossing the encounter Di Maria deservedly doubled their advantage as half-time approached.
His cheeky chip over Bordeaux keeper Cedric Carrasso came after a neat link-up from Lucas and Verratti with the Italian midfielder delivering the assist to Di Maria.
The sound of the referee’s whistle for the restart had barely disappeared when Cavani picked up a cross from the left from Di Maria to strike the ball with his first touch past Carrasso.
That took the red-hot Uruguayan’s scoring percentage to one goal a game.
With his encouraging return ahead of the Champions League clash Verratti came off after an hour with Di Maria quickly following.
Emery introduced Hatem Ben Arfa for Cavani for the closing 20 minutes.
Napoli beats Genoa
Napoli prepared for its Champions League clash at Real Madrid by extending its unbeaten run with a 2-0 win against Genoa in Serie A Friday.
Napoli, which visits Madrid for the first leg of its last-16 match Wednesday, has not lost since a 2-1 defeat at Juventus in October.
Goals from Piotr Zielinski and Emanuele Giaccherini saw Napoli move into second spot in Serie A, one point above Roma.
Both sides had chances in the first half but Napoli never really got going until after the break.
It appeared to be a different side in the second half and broke the deadlock five minutes after the interval.
Dries Mertens was causing havoc in the Genoa defense and a clearance fell to Zielinski to fire into the far bottom corner from just inside the area.
Mertens, who has scored 16 league goals this season and is fighting for the top goalscorer award, was also involved in Napoli’s second in the 68th minute.
The Belgian international ran onto a long ball, flicked it past Nicolas Burdisso and unselfishly rolled it across for Giaccherini to tap into an empty net for his first Serie A Napoli goal. — Agencies
