Lucas, Cavani on target as PSG beat leaders Marseille
PARIS (Reuters) - Goals from Lucas and Edinson Cavani and the return of talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped Paris St Germain beat league leaders Olympique Marseille 2-0 on Sunday, a victory that closed the gap in the table.
PSG, who were boosted by the return of Sweden forward Ibrahimovic from a heel injury he sustained in late September, remain second in the standings with 27 points from 13 games. Marseille have 28 points from 13.
The Parisians struggled early on with Marseille pressing high-up and forcing their arch rivals into a string of poor passes and late tackles.
Andre-Pierre Gignac hit the upright with a bullet header from a corner in the fifth minute and two minutes later Romain Alessandrini whisked a half-volley passed the post after good work from Benjamin Mendy on the right.
"I want to complement Marseille because they were well organised and defended well," Brazil international Maxwell said in a pitchside interview. "It counts for us because we were four points behind so it was important to win."
As the first half wore on PSG, who are now unbeaten in their last 18 matches, began to get a hold of the game with Marseille losing some intensity and they broke the deadlock when captain Thiago Silva surged forward, fed Cavani who set free Ezequiel Lavezzi who then crossed for Lucas to tap home after 37 minutes.
Gignac should have levelled just after half-time after stealing the ball off Silva, but with just the keeper to beat he opted for a complicated chip.
From then on, PSG were mostly in control and once Giannelli Imbula was sent off with just over 10 minutes remaining, Marseille's hopes of turning the game round were over.
Cavani sealed the win heading home his fifth goal in five games after a pinpoint cross from right back Serge Aurier, who had been released by 65th-minute substitute Ibrahimovic.
"We're disappointed. We lost because we lacked realism," Marseille captain Steve Mandanda said. "We hit the post, had some chances, but couldn't convert them."
In the earlier games Olympique Lyon moved into third one point behind PSG after a 3-1 win over Guingamp with two goals from Nabil Fekir and Alexandre Lacazette scoring his 11th of the campaign making him the league's top scorer.
Monaco continued their patchy start to the season drawing 1-1 with sixth-place Saint Etienne despite taking the lead.
(Reporting by John Irish, editing by Greg Stutchbury)
