Lucas Moura's Recent PSG Revival Continues in Toulouse Thrashing

Paris Saint-Germain’s seemingly unstoppable march toward a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 crown continued with a 5-0 mauling of hapless relegation battlers Toulouse at Parc des Princes on Saturday.

Angel Di Maria set Laurent Blanc’s men on their way after just six minutes, with two Zlatan Ibrahimovic goals and other strikes from Lucas Moura and Ezequiel Lavezzi completing the biggest win of the season so far for the French champions.

The utterly dominant victory moves them a provisional 11 points clear at the top of Le Championnat and sends the capital outfit into the international break with four wins from their four league games since the October pause.

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Although Ibrahimovic scored two and created another, it was arguably substitute Lucas who impressed the most for Les Parisiens.

The Brazil international was introduced in place of the ineffectual Edinson Cavani after 63 minutes and did more in his 27-minute cameo than the Uruguayan did in over an hour. Moura scored one to make it 3-0 just three minutes after coming on and then pretty much laid on the fourth nine minutes later.

First, the 23-year-old rose to head home an inch-perfect Gregory van der Wiel cross for his goal, but it was his work in the build-up to Ibrahimovic’s second that really earned him the plaudits.

Picking up the ball midway inside the Toulouse half, Lucas dribbled at speed past a gaggle of the visitors’ players before hitting a low right-footed shot across TFC goalkeeper Ali Ahamada. The shot stopper could only parry the ball into the path of Ibrahimovic, who slotted in his second of the game.

Speaking to PSG.fr after the final whistle, Moura admitted that he was pleased to have taken his chance.

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I'm very happy with the win and secondly to have come on and help my team. It's never easy watching from the sidelines, so when I came on, I wanted to make the most of it. I'm still young, and I improve every day playing alongside such quality players. Another header? It's important to score. Are Paris already champions? No, not yet, but if we keep playing like this, we will be soon. Our aim is to make history by not losing a match this season.

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Although Lucas’ sublime run and shot will probably not go down as an assist, the PSG No. 7 deserves the recognition for such a superb piece of play. The Brazilian has now scored two and created two more in his last four outings.

His excellent run and pass provided Angel Di Maria’s goal in the 1-0 win away at Stade Rennais last week. However, more impressively, the two goals have both been headers; the other came in the recent 4-1 home win over AS Saint-Etienne.

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Moura’s upturn in form followed some deserved criticism for some poor displays with PSG and also losing his place in the Brazil national team after a run of call-ups under current coach Dunga.

These improved showings from the South American will start to apply some pressure on the Selecao Brasileira tactician, as well as Blanc in the French capital.

Taking into account Cavani’s poor form, which continued on Saturday with two notable missed opportunities, Lucas is pushing for re-integration into the PSG starting XI.

The front three of Di Maria, Ibrahimovic and Cavani has not produced the desired results so far, and the Brazilian offers vastly different characteristics than the Uruguayan.

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Should Blanc drop Cavani and go with Moura, Di Maria could even feature on the left side for once, with the samba star on the right and Ibrahimovic in the middle. Considering how the Argentina international has not entirely convinced from the right, it should make the PSG attack even more potent.

Regardless of what Blanc decides to do with Cavani once he returns from international duty, Lucas’ current form commands a starting role when the team steps out to face FC Lorient away after the upcoming international break.