RUGBY WORLD CUP: P31 TWO DAYS TO GO SPORTS 2432 Wednesday, September 16, 2015 PSG see off Malmo 2-0

DI MARIA OPENS

Di Maria ACCOUNT

Paris Ibrahimovic wasteful in front of goal and two deep in midfield, were stuffy had of coming back into the ngel Di Maria and Edinson and later being substituted against his opponents. But, save for a Nikola game, and only a superb ACavani were on target as hometown team and the club with Djurdjic shot that slid just wide of stop by Wiland from Paris Saint-Germain began their whom he started his illustrious career Kevin Trapp’s far post in the 34th point-blank range to Cavani Champions League campaign with back in 1999. minute, they offered little in attack. deny David Luiz an ultimately comfortable 2-0 win The Swedish striker returned after Instead, PSG let themselves kept the final score against Malmo at the Parc des Princes injury in one of three changes to the down at times with wasteful passing down before yesterday. Paris team that had been held to a 2-2 and poor finishing, not least from substitute Di Maria scored less than four draw at home by Bordeaux in Ligue 1 Ibrahimovic, who failed to convert Ezequiel minutes into his Champions League at the weekend, but he was upstaged no fewer than five attempts in the Lavezzi had a debut as a PSG player to set the in the fourth minute by Di Maria. first half alone and was then let down goal disallowed French champions on their way, The Argentina winger was labelled by his touch having been put in by right at the death. but they missed a succession of as the man to take PSG to the next Cavani just after the restart. opportunities before finally extending level in Europe when he was signed Nevertheless, he proved much PSV plunder Manchester their advantage when Cavani headed from Manchester United last month, more adept when it came to setting United’s return party home in the 61st minute. and he indicated why as he ran onto up his colleagues, and it was from an With Real Madrid and Shakhtar Marco Verratti’s pass in behind the Ibrahimovic pass that Di Maria sent In another match, Donetsk also in Group A, Paris Malmo defence before angling a in a curling shot which was tipped Manchester United suffered needed a strong start against the beautiful finish past Johan Wiland around the post by Wiland on 52 a miserable return to the Swedish champions as they target not and into the far corner of the net. minutes. Champions League after just qualification for the knockout However, if anyone then expected The second goal finally arrived a 12-month hiatus as rounds but an improvement on their PSG to romp to a big victory, they just after the hour mark thanks to full-back Luke Shaw was runs to the quarter-finals in each of were to be disappointed. Cavani, the Uruguayan heading taken to hospital with a the last three campaigns. Malmo, who beat Celtic in a play- home his sixth of the season after horror injury during the But while they got the points, it off to reach this stage, lined up with Ibrahimovic had flicked on a left- english giant’s 2-1 defeat was far from a vintage display by nine full internationals on the field at wing cross from Maxwell. at the hands of PSV Laurent Blanc’s side with Zlatan kickoff and, with a five-man defence That ended any ideas that Malmo Eindhoven. Hon.Chairman Najeb Yacob Alhamer | Responsible Editor Mahmood AI Mahmood | Managing Editor Soman Baby | Managing Director P. Unnikrishnan | Adviser Med Jones Advt : Strategic Publicity & Advertising Co.W.L.L | Tel: 17270710, Fax17256470, Email: [email protected] | Newsroom: Tel: 17579911, Fax17250150, Email: [email protected] Printed and published by Al Ayam Publishing | Subscription & circulation: Tel: 38444698/17579877/Fax17250150, Email:[email protected] | Website: www.dt.bh