Troyes vs. PSG: Winners and Losers from Ligue 1
With their 9-0 win over Troyes on Sunday, Paris Saint-Germain secured their fourth straight Ligue 1 title in emphatic style.
It is by far the earliest they have been crowned French champions, and the win is a fitting symbol of just how far ahead they are of the rest of the league.
Troyes were never going to put up much of a fight against the Parisians; Mohamed Bradja's side are rock bottom of the league, with just two wins from 30 games, but no one expected Sunday’s destruction.
"It's important to go to Troyes and confirm our good form after qualifying for the quarter-finals of the Champions League," said Laurent Blanc before the game. "We are heading there with the aim of winning and, like always, with the utmost respect for our opponents."
They fulfilled their boss' wishes—and then some. After 20 minutes, the Parisians were 3-0 up and out of sight. Four second-half goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic put the icing, cherry and sparklers on the championship cake.
It is the club’s biggest win since QSI took control at the Parc des Princes in 2011 and secured their 25-point gap over Monaco at the top of Ligue 1.
Here are the winners and losers from PSG's 9-0 win over Troyes.
WINNER: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PSG
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The Swedish talisman let his team-mates have the spotlight for the first half, but it was all Zlatan in the second.
One minute into the second half, he fired home from the edge of the box for his first. He tucked away an Angel Di Maria cross six minutes later for his second and connected with Layvin Kurzawa’s low cross on the edge of the box to complete his hat-trick in just 11 minutes.
Javier Pastore’s perfectly weighted pass put the 34-year-old through to score his fourth two minutes from time, wrapping up PSG’s 9-0 victory.
LOSER: Matthieu Saunier, Troyes
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It’s easy to pick a centre-back from a team that conceded nine goals in one game, but it was the 26-year-old Matthieu Saunier who masterminded the start of Troyes’ downfall.
With no pressure on the defender, he managed to pass the ball into an area between his goalkeeper and team-mate Rincon. That let Edinson Cavani in, and the Uruguayan scored at the second attempt.
He was also in the wrong place at the wrong time to score PSG's seventh goal.
WINNER: Matthieu Dreyer, Troyes
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Yes, he did concede nine goals on Sunday, but without the five saves Matthieu Dreyer made, it could have been a lot worse.
He saved from Ibrahimovic early on, giving the 'keeper notice it was going to be a busy day.
You can’t fault him for any of the goals Troyes gave up—the defence can answer for that. He even stopped Cavani’s penalty. It’s almost impossible to praise any member of a team that loses 9-0, but Dreyer shouldn't get the blame for Sunday’s result.
LOSER: Edinson Cavani, PSG
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The 29-year-old may have scored twice, but Cavani managed to find a way to look distinctly average in a game in which his team scored nine and he scored twice.
Helped by Saunier for the first, his initial shot was poor and saved by Dreyer. The Uruguayan was fortunate it fell kindly for him at the second attempt.
The same happened for his penalty. There was good, smart play to win the spot-kick, but his attempt was poor, and he was lucky he was able to follow it up.
WINNER: Javier Pastore, PSG
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In just his ninth start of the season, Javier Pastore is still trying to find match fitness. Sunday’s performance saw the Argentinian playmaker back toward his best.
Some beautiful flicks and passes created chances for the away side. His run for the second goal was vintage Pastore, and he helped set up Ibrahimovic for his fourth and PSG’s ninth.
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