PSG recover from bad start to snatch much-needed win
PARIS (Reuters) - Javier Pastore and Edinson Cavani scored late as Paris St Germain ignored their fans' boos and recovered from a shaky start to beat visiting strugglers Evian Thonon Gaillard 4-2 on Sunday.
Argentine playmaker Pastore, with a 74th minute goal, and Uruguay striker Cavani, with another two minutes from time, ensured that the recently misfiring champions claimed their first win in their last four Ligue 1 games.
It was a crucial win for PSG, moving them up to third with 41 points from 21 games and keeping them in touch even though they remain four points behind leaders Olympique Lyonnais, who beat RC Lens 2-0 on Saturday.
Olympique de Marseille stayed second, one point behind Lyon, after late goals from Mario Lemina and Andre-Pierre Gignac earned a 2-1 home win against En Avant Guingamp.
Second-half substitute Lemina scored with a header in the 84th minute and Gignac also netted with a header one minute from time. Guingamp reduced the arrears in added time with a penalty by Claudio Beauvue after a foul by Rod Fanni, who picked up a red card in the process.
St Etienne dropped to fourth on 40 points after being held to a goalless draw at Stade Rennais.
Evian had opened the scoring through Cedric Barbosa after 14 minutes before two quick goals from David Luiz and Marco Verratti put the hosts ahead before halftime.
Gregory van der Wiel's own goal restored parity in the 64th minute before Pastore and Cavani, who had been left out of the squad for three games as punishment for coming back late from the winter break, made all the difference.
It was a relief for the champions after their star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic had been largely responsible for their poor start.
After a bad clearance by the Swede, Adrien Thomasson headed the ball into the path of Barbosa, who slotted the ball past Salvatore Sirigu to give the 18th placed side their shock lead.
Luiz levelled on the half hour with a powerful header from a corner, his first Ligue 1 goal since the Brazil centre back joined from Chelsea during the close season.
Verratti then fired a half-volley past Benjamin Leroy in the 38th minute to put PSG ahead.
But Evian hit back when fullback Van der Wiel headed Daniel Wass's long-range free kick into his own net.
The Parisians were booed by the Parc des Princes crowd, who quickly found something to cheer about again when Pastore scored his team's third from Lucas's cross.
Second-half substitute Cavani put the result beyond doubt two minutes from time from close range after being set up by Ibrahimovic.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ian Chadband)
