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Tag: Edinson Cavani

  • Neymar treble inspires PSG to 6-1 rout of Red Star

    Paris St Germain got their Champions League campaign back on track with a 6-1 home rout of Serbian side Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday as Brazil forward Neymar lit up a lopsided Group C clash with a hat-trick.

    Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani and France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe added a goal each as the French champions ripped into 1991 European Cup winners Red Star, who were spared a heavier defeat by goalkeeper Milan Borjan.

    The result left PSG on three points from two games after their opening 3-2 defeat by Liverpool.

    The outcome was also Red Star’s heaviest defeat in Europe, ending their 38-match unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to last season.

    In spite of the obvious gulf in class, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel praised his team for keeping up a high tempo, which barely allowed the visitors to get out of their own half and singled out the outstanding Neymar.

    “We’ve improved our intensity in every game and you saw that tonight,” Tuchel told a news conference.

    Read Also:Mbappe: Neymar is still the superstar at PSG

    “Neymar is one of the best players in Europe. We have several of the best in our team — not just Neymar. We’ve won lots of games because we have the best players, but also because we were the best team. That’s very important.”

    It was one-way traffic from the start as the home side raced into a 2-0 lead with two goals in two minutes as Neymar curled a delightful free kick past Borjan in the 20th minute before he converted a fine run and pass by Mbappe.

    Cavani made it 3-0 with a deflected shot from inside the penalty area in the 37th minute, before Di Maria added a fourth from close range after Thomas Meunier floated in a superb pass with the outside of his foot.

    In between the goals and early in the second half, Borjan pulled off a string of superb saves to deny Neymar and Mbappe on multiple occasions as PSG carved open Red Star’s defence at will, with Mbappe also guilty of some sloppy finishing.

    Mbappe finally found the back of the net in the 70th minute after a dazzling move involving Neymar and Juan Bernat left the 19-year-old with a simple tap in from six metres.

    Red Star, playing in the competition’s group stages for the first time, scored their maiden goal on the big stage when midfielder Marko Marin buried a shot from 12 metres into the top corner in his team’s first purposeful move.

    Borjan could only offer a wry smile, when Neymar put the icing on the cake of a brilliant individual performance as he unleashed another breathtaking free kick from 30 metres, in the 81st minute before he was substituted.

    Cavani had the ball in the back of the net again shortly afterwards, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside as PSG kept their feet on the pedal until the final whistle.

  • No more war with Neymar declares Cavani

    No more war with Neymar declares Cavani

     

     

    Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani insists his row with Neymar over penalty duties has been settled.

    Brazil star Neymar became embroiled in an on-pitch argument with Cavani over who would take a spot-kick in the 2-0 Ligue 1 victory over Lyon last month.

    It was reported that PSG offered Cavani a €1million bonus to forgo penalties in future, while there were even suggestions Neymar demanded the Uruguay international be sold in the wake of the disagreement.

    The duo appeared to have put any animosity behind them on Saturday as they inspired a 6-2 thrashing of Bordeaux, during which Neymar was congratulated by Cavani after converting from the spot.

    The former Napoli forward claims the issue was blown out of proportion and has now been put behind them.

    Speaking ahead of Uruguay’s World Cup qualifier against Venezuela on Thursday, he said: “It’s part of football. They’re things that sometimes get amplified to something much bigger than they really are.

    “They get settled in the dressing room. Everything has a solution. It’s all fine now.

    “The important thing is that we’re fighting for the same goal.

    Teammate Unai Emery had earlier appealed to the two players to bury the hatchet and forge ahead to avoid derailing the team’s desire shine in the season.

    “I have told them to sort it out between themselves,” the Spaniard declared during his postmatch news conference. “I think that they are capable of doing that and that they will both be our kickers.

    “If they cannot reach an agreement, I will decide for them. I do not want this to become a problem for us.”

    PSG have won all six of their opening Ligue 1 matches and are three points clear at the summit of Le Championnat after a pair of own goals secured them all three points against Lyon.

  • Chelsea crush Qarabag in UEFA Champions League

    Chelsea crush Qarabag in UEFA Champions League

    Chelsea enjoyed a triumphant return to the UEFA Champions League after a year out on Tuesday, thumping the competition’s debutants Qarabag 6-0, including a stunning, if miscued, strike from new signing Davide Zappacosta.

    The Azeri champions were never any match for their English counterparts and it took only five minutes for Pedro to open the scoring with a curling shot from the edge of the area.

    Deadline-day signing Zappacosta, apparently looking to cross the ball, produced a swirling screamer of a goal from some 35 metres out on the half hour.

    Chelsea ran riot in the second half, with goals from defender Cesar Azpilicueta, new French signing Tiemoue Bakayoko and two from Michy Batshuayi rounding off an impressive display against the Group C underdogs.

    In other UEFA Champions League matches also played on Tuesday, Romelu Lukaku opened his Champions League account as Manchester United marked their return to the competition with a 3-0 rout of Basle in their opening Group A match at Old Trafford.

    A mesmeric Lionel Messi scored twice and inspired Barcelona to a 3-0 win over Juventus as the Catalans got off to a flying start in Champions League Group D.

    It was a sweet revenge for Barcelona following their last season’s quarterfinal elimination by the Italian champions.

    Also, Paris Saint Germain flexed their attacking muscles with a 5-0 victory at Celtic in their opening Champions League Group B game on Tuesday as the world’s most expensive frontline produced a potent display of force.

    Neymar, making his first European appearance for PSG after his world-record move from Barcelona,scored first in the 19th minute. He was joined on the scoresheet by Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani, the other two members of PSG’s expensive forward trio.

  • Enyeama hails PSG after Barca humiliation

    Enyeama hails PSG after Barca humiliation

    Nigerian star Vincent Enyeama has hailed Paris Saint German (PSG) as one of the best teams in the world following their 4-0 demolition of Spanish giants FC Barcelona during the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16-match played in France on Tuesday night.

    Former Manchester United winger Angel di Maria scored twice while goals from Julian Draxler and birthday man Edinson Cavani completed the rout.

    Enyeama played against PSG last week in the Ligue 1 and lost 2-1 with Lille, so he understands the might of the current French Champions.

    Enyeama tweeted after the game, he wrote: “PSG is one of the best teams in the world. Just believe me when I say this. They are very very good.”

    Barcelona have a huge mountain to climb in the return leg and stand the risk of early elimination as no team has ever recovered at this stage of the competition after a four goals deficit.

  • Cavani marks birthday in style

    Cavani marks birthday in style

     

     

    Edinson Cavani revelled in Paris Saint-Germain marking his 30th birthday with a “special” 4-0 thumping of Barcelona on Tuesday.

    PSG took a huge step towards the Champions League quarter-finals with an emphatic victory in the first leg of their last-16 tie.

    Cavani rounded off the scoring after a double from Angel Di Maria – also celebrating his birthday – sandwiched a goal from Julian Draxler.

    The Uruguay international enjoyed the occasion, but was quick to point out that PSG cannot lose focus on domestic matters.

    “For four seasons I have been in Paris and we have played some great matches, but this victory has a rather special flavour because of the meaning of this day for me,” Cavani told beIN Sports.

    “We are all very happy. We have done a great job but tomorrow we will have to recover.

    “For now, we are not thinking about the second leg. We must focus on the league and the domestic cups, which are also very important.

    “It will be necessary to prepare for the match in Barcelona because football is beautiful because you never know what can happen before a game.”

    Centre-back Marquinhos praised PSG’s defensive performance but still anticipates a tough match in the second leg in Barcelona on March 8.

    “We are a young but solid team,” said Marquinhos. “We knew how to squeeze them, how to be well positioned with the low block, and we know how to take advantage of our opportunities.

  • Edinson Cavani wants Premier switch

    sky sources are reporting that Edinson Cavani has instructed his agent to investigate a potential move to the Premier League.

    The 27-year-old Uruguay international joined Paris Saint-Germain from Napoli for around £55m last summer and signed a five-year contract, but now appears keen on a move away from the French capital.

    And the news will be of particular interest to Chelsea and Manchester United, who have both been linked with the forward.

    Cavani enjoyed a successful first season with PSG, who retained the Ligue 1 title and also won the Coupe de la Ligue, with Cavani scoring both goals in the final.

    But the Uruguayan is reportedly unhappy about the way he is utilized by the club, who often deploy him in wide positions so the prolific Zlatan Ibrahimovic can play through the middle.

    And, while he was at the World Cup in Brazil, Cavani refused to rule out a transfer to Manchester United.

    Asked whether a move to Old Trafford was in his future, he said: “In football, you never know. Anything can happen.

    “One day you are in one team and, the next day, you can be in another.”

    Cavani has been capped 63 times by Uruguay and featured in all of their matches at the World Cup this summer, where they reached the second round before losing 2-0 to Colombia.

    Having begun his professional career with Danubio in Montevideo, he joined Palermo in Italy in 2010, before beginning a very successful stint with Napoli in 2010.

    He finished the 2012/13 season as the top scorer in Serie A and became the most expensive signing in French football history when he joined PSG.

     

  • Italy grabs Confeds Cup bronze

    Italy claimed third place at the Confederations Cup with a 3-2 penalty shootout victory over Uruguay after a 2-2 draw in an entertaining third-fourth place play-off at Arena Fonte Nova in Salvador.

    Davide Astori slotted home Italy’s opener after an unfortunate deflection off the goalkeeper, before Edinson Cavani’s fine finish restored parity, Goal.com reports.

    Two brilliant free-kicks, from Alessandro Diamanti and Cavani late in the second half added to the score, before an entertaining match was settled on penalties after a competitive extra-time period.

    In the shootout, Diego Forlan saw his effort saved by Gianluigi Buffon, and further misses from Walter Gargano and Martin Caceres handed Cesare Prandelli’s men the bronze medal.