Watch Zlatan Ibrahimovic score thunderbolt free-kick vs. OGC Nice Read 02.04.2016 HD
- 8 years ago
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored a hat trick to take his tally to 30 French league goals as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for its Champions League match against Manchester City with a convincing 4-1 win over Nice on Saturday.
Having already secured a fourth consecutive league title, PSG hosts the English Premier League club on Wednesday in the first leg of their quarterfinal.
Ibrahimovic, the league top-scorer, put PSG ahead from defender David Luiz’s assist. He gave the hosts a 2-1 lead from a direct free kick after Hatem Ben Arfa leveled the score with a superb solo goal.
Luiz made it 3-1 after the interval, and Ibrahimovic sealed the win eight minutes from time with a clean finish, matching his best league season for goals.
PSG, which has yet to advance past the Champions League quarterfinals since Qatari investors took over the club in 2011, increased its lead over Monaco to 25 points.
After a tribute to the late Johan Cruyff, who died last month of cancer, Ibrahimovic created the first chance of the match with a curled low shot that ended wide from Lucas’ pass on the edge of the box.
The imposing striker, who is also the league’s best passer with 11 assists, connected with a long ball from Luiz to open the scoring. Ibrahimovic controlled the ball with a subtle first touch inside the box then slotted it into the goal with a powerful shot past keeper Yoan Cardinale.
But PSG could not hold onto its lead for more than three minutes as Ben Arfa leveled. The former France international, who said before the game he wanted to pay a tribute to Cruyff at the Parc des Princes by showing his great technique, collected the ball at the halfway line, ran through PSG’s midfield and fired a 20-meter strike into the top corner.
Even without the injured Marco Verratti, PSG had no problem regaining control of the midfield, and went back in front after Lucas was fouled by Niklas Hult on the edge of the area. Ibrahimovic took the free kick and thumped the ball into the top left corner to make it 2-1.
Luiz increased PSG’s lead after the interval from a corner, taking the better of Alassane Plea at the near post to fire a header home.
PSG had the upper hand for the remainder of the game. The visitors were eventually caught on the break, as Adrien Rabiot found Ibrahimovic with a through ball that he sent in with a low shot.
Nice remained in third place but could be overtaken by Lyon, which trailed the Riviera side by just one point ahead of its trip to Lorient on Sunday.
Having already secured a fourth consecutive league title, PSG hosts the English Premier League club on Wednesday in the first leg of their quarterfinal.
Ibrahimovic, the league top-scorer, put PSG ahead from defender David Luiz’s assist. He gave the hosts a 2-1 lead from a direct free kick after Hatem Ben Arfa leveled the score with a superb solo goal.
Luiz made it 3-1 after the interval, and Ibrahimovic sealed the win eight minutes from time with a clean finish, matching his best league season for goals.
PSG, which has yet to advance past the Champions League quarterfinals since Qatari investors took over the club in 2011, increased its lead over Monaco to 25 points.
After a tribute to the late Johan Cruyff, who died last month of cancer, Ibrahimovic created the first chance of the match with a curled low shot that ended wide from Lucas’ pass on the edge of the box.
The imposing striker, who is also the league’s best passer with 11 assists, connected with a long ball from Luiz to open the scoring. Ibrahimovic controlled the ball with a subtle first touch inside the box then slotted it into the goal with a powerful shot past keeper Yoan Cardinale.
But PSG could not hold onto its lead for more than three minutes as Ben Arfa leveled. The former France international, who said before the game he wanted to pay a tribute to Cruyff at the Parc des Princes by showing his great technique, collected the ball at the halfway line, ran through PSG’s midfield and fired a 20-meter strike into the top corner.
Even without the injured Marco Verratti, PSG had no problem regaining control of the midfield, and went back in front after Lucas was fouled by Niklas Hult on the edge of the area. Ibrahimovic took the free kick and thumped the ball into the top left corner to make it 2-1.
Luiz increased PSG’s lead after the interval from a corner, taking the better of Alassane Plea at the near post to fire a header home.
PSG had the upper hand for the remainder of the game. The visitors were eventually caught on the break, as Adrien Rabiot found Ibrahimovic with a through ball that he sent in with a low shot.
Nice remained in third place but could be overtaken by Lyon, which trailed the Riviera side by just one point ahead of its trip to Lorient on Sunday.