Caen vs. PSG: Winners and Losers from Ligue 1 Game
Paris Saint-Germain washed off their away-day blues on Wednesday night, recording a 2-0 victory over SM Caen at the Stade Michel d’Ornano in Normandy.
Without top scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Laurent Blanc had to make some changes to the starting line-up and brought in Lucas Moura and Javier Pastore to try and get the best out of his side.
It was the Brazilian forward who got the opening goal after 18 minutes, weaving his way into the Caen penalty area and smashing his shot into the top corner.
The home side definitely had their chances and could have piled the pressure on Blanc if they had managed to take one of their great opportunities, but in the end Marquinhos headed in the second, and the game was out of Caen’s reach.
Caen coach Patrice Garande will have a few positives to take from the game and should be proud of his team. They drop down to 14th, while PSG move up to second behind Marseille, with Bordeaux and Saint-Etienne sitting fourth and fifth set to play on Thursday.
Here are some winners and losers from PSG’s 2-0 win over SM Caen on Wednesday night.
Winner: Lucas Moura
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Injury to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and suspension for Marco Verratti meant that Laurent Blanc had to make some changes on Wednesday night. There was a tweak to the formation and a return to first-team action for Lucas Moura.
The Brazilian’s performances so far had been full of inconsistency, but he made up for that at the Stade Michel d’Ornano, scoring an absolutely stunning opening goal and inspiring PSG to victory.
"3 - @Javi_Pastore has assisted 3 of Lucas Moura’s last 4 goals in Ligue 1. Alliance.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) September 24, 2014"
After Dennis Appiah lost the ball on the right flank, it landed at the feet of Lucas, and the 22-year-old did the rest. Dancing past two Caen defenders, he took the ball onto his left foot and fired it past Remy Vercoutre.
It was a goal that both PSG and Lucas desperately needed, and Blanc will be hoping it inspires a good run from the young forward.
Loser: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
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Suffering from a heel injury, Zlatan Ibrahimovic missed Wednesday’s game in Normandy. Through all his important goals, the Swedish striker has become the focal point of the PSG attack.
However, against Caen and without Ibrahimovic, something amazing happened. PSG played some wonderful attacking football and looked like a more cohesive and functioning unit.
There was increased movement across the pitch; Edinson Cavani led the line like a No. 9 should. There was drifting and interchanging of positions by Javier Pastore, Lucas Moura and substitute Jean-Christophe Bahebeck.
Without the shackles of playing for Ibrahimovic and succumbing to his wishes and demands, the 11 players looked more like a team and at times looked like the high-class unit they should every game.
"50% - PSG have only won 50% of their competitive games without Zlatan Ibrahimovic since 2012/13, 70% with him. Injured.
— OptaJean (@OptaJean) September 23, 2014"
There is little doubt that Ibrahimovic will return as soon as he is fit, but Wednesday showed that PSG don’t need to rely on the Swede. The talismanic striker needs PSG as much as they need him.
The hope would be that it will inspire him to become part of the team rather than acting like he is the team.
Winner: Edinson Cavani
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In the end the scoresheet will show that Lucas Moura and Marquinhos got the goals in PSG’s 2-0 victory over Caen, but Edinson Cavani can be proud of his performance.
This was the latest in what has been an upturn in form for the Uruguayan striker. He looked lively, alert, busy and hungry to score goals for his team.
There were a few moments of skill and trickery in the box that showed exactly why PSG paid so much for the striker from Napoli in the summer of 2013.
Quite often when he has been given the chance to play through the centre, he has not put in a positive performance. No one can criticise the work rate he put in on Wednesday night.
It does give Blanc a nice headache. He will want to fit both Cavani and Ibrahimovic into the same attack, but he seems reluctant to do that without playing a front three. This could be the time for Blanc to swallow his pride and try playing two up front.
Cavani’s performance has certainly given Blanc food for thought.
Loser: Mathieu Duhamel
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It was always going to be a tough night for the 30-year-old against the French champions. After scoring 24 goals for Caen in Ligue 2, there is a certain level of expectation on the forward to produce goals in the top division.
After making a comeback from injury, he returned to the side in the 3-3 draw away at Toulouse. Wednesday was his chance to show what he could do against two of the league’s top centre-backs.
When the striker looks back at the game on Wednesday evening, he will probably be surprised by the amount of clear chances he got. His best chance came in the second half with the score at just 1-0.
A beautiful ball was played to the back post from the left wing, and the PSG defence left the forward unmarked. Duhamel headed the ball down but headed it wide of the far post.
Nine times out of 10, the Caen forward would have put that chance away. It may keep him awake for a couple nights, but he is good enough to bounce back from it.
The game could have been much different had Duhamel taken his chance, and it showed that PSG are not quite out of the woods just yet.
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