Cavani’s
first half double, both assists provided by Angel Di Maria, earned unbeaten PSG
their ninth league win of the season.
It pushed
them up to 29 points, seven clear of defending champions Monaco who face
Bordeaux on Saturday.
And it was
the ideal warm-up ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Anderlecht when they can secure
a place in the Champions League last 16.
The win also
served to erase the memory of last week’s draining 2-2 draw with hated rivals
Marseille.
Neymar was
absent for only the second time since his world record signing, the Brazilian
copping a one-match ban after being sent off in that stormy visit to the south
coast.
Di Maria
filled Neymar’s expensive shoes on only his second start since August.
Emery
introduced centre back Presnel Kimpembe for Marquinhos with Spanish left-back
Yuri Berchiche replacing Layvin Kurzawa.
Rightback
Dani Alves returned but veteran midfielder Thiago Motta was absent because of a
knee complaint
Mario
Balotelli was a welcome starter for the visitors after missing last week’s 2-1
loss to Strasbourg with a calf knock.
Nice coach
Lucien Favre was forced into an unscripted last minute change when keeper Yoan
Cardinale suffered an injury in warm-up with Walter Benitez summoned off the
bench.
The
Argentine stand-in keeper was quickly put to work by PSG as Di Maria fired in
an inch perfect freekick from the left with the match barely three minutes old.
Cavani dived
low to head past Benitez by the near post to bring a smile to the face of
Neymar and to secure a place in his club’s history with their 2,500th league
goal.
Balotelli
tested PSG keeper Alphonse Areola with a long range effort down at the other
end but that proved a rare respite for Benitez.
On 31
minutes Cavani claimed his 99th Ligue 1 goal when the Uruguayan ran onto Di
Maria’s neat flick to round the on-rushing Benitez and slide the ball into an
empty net.
Benitez then
had to act sharply to deny Di Maria getting his first goal of the campaign off
an assist from Kylian Mbappe.
The second
half was only seven minutes old when a defensive blunder by Nice led to Cavani
heading into the box with Alves getting a touch before the ball was helped on
its way past Benitez by Nice captain Dante.
Mbappe then
showed why he will become the world’s second most expensive player when his
loan deal is completed at the end of the season, the teenager sprinting round a
cluster of Nice defenders before firing into the side netting.
As PSG
reflected on a job well done Nice were left contemplating their fourth league
loss on the bounce to keep them hovering above the relegation zone.
0 Comments