Nene steals show as PSG demolish Sochaux
Reuters - Sunday 22 April 2012, 21:19
Nene delivered a superb
performance as Paris Saint-Germain kept their Ligue 1 title
challenge on track with a 6-1 thrashing of Sochaux on Sunday.
Brazilian Nene, criticised last weekend after missing a
couple of clear chances in a 1-1 draw at AJ Auxerre, scored two
and set up another as PSG stayed second on 67 points with five
games left.
They trail Montpellier, who beat Valenciennes 1-0 on
Saturday, by two points.
"The team work was very good tonight," coach Carlo Ancelotti
told reporters.
"We played good football. After a difficult game at Auxerre,
our attitude changed. We showed a great state of mind, which was
the most important thing."
Champions Lille, who host Paris next weekend, are third on
62 points after a 2-0 win at Dijon on Saturday.
Fourth-placed Olympique Lyon, six points behind Lille, kept
their thin Champions League hopes alive as they recovered from
two goals down to defeat lowly Lorient 3-2.
Javier Pastore, who started the previous game on the bench,
also showed his silky touch at the Parc des Princes.
The Argentine playmaker, who joined last year from Palermo
for a French record 42 million euro fee, slalomed through the
Sochaux defence after a fine one-two with Nene and unleashed a
powerful shot under the bar after six minutes.
Modibo Maiga headed home the equaliser six minutes later,
only for Italy midfielder Thiago Motta to restore the advantage
with a headed goal from a Nene cross in the 25th minute.
France winger Jeremy Menez made it 3-1, also with a header,
from Siaka Tiene's cross one minute from the interval.
With their teeth firmly in their prey, PSG continued to pile
on the pressure after the break.
Nene latched on to a Christophe Jallet cross to put the
result beyond doubt in the 55th minute, adding another five
minutes later when he caught the visitors' defence snoozing
before dribbling past Teddy Richert to score into the empty net.
Defender Sylvain Armand rubbed salt into Sochaux's wounds
with PSG's sixth in stoppage time.
Olympique Lyon, who have featured in the Champions League
for the last 12 years, still have a chance to clinch the playoff
round berth as Bafetimbi Gomis netted from point blank with six
minutes to go to earn them a home victory.
Lorient stunned their hosts when Kevin Monnet-Paquet put his
side ahead after 22 minutes, then Mathias Autret doubled the
lead as he chested down a long cross to fire past goalkeeper Hugo
Lloris.
Cris put the visitors within Lyon's reach when he volleyed
home from a corner kick seven minutes before half-time. Striker
Lisandro scored the equaliser on a superb individual effort from
the left side in the 77th minute.