PSG beat Angers to go top of Ligue 1 without Pochettino


Kurzawa scored with 20 minutes left on the Stade Raymond Kopa to ship PSG provisionally two factors away from Lyon, who could have the prospect to reclaim first place after they host Metz on Sunday.

Assistants Jesus Perez and Miguel D’Agostino took cost of the PSG facet with Pochettino having to self-isolate after the announcement on Friday that he had contracted the virus.

The Argentine’s constructive take a look at adopted these of three Paris gamers — Brazilian Rafinha, Germany’s Thilo Kehrer and French Underneath-21 worldwide Colin Dagba — within the final week.

“It was a really tough match. Angers are a really effectively organised crew,” stated Perez, the Spaniard who additionally labored for Pochettino at Espanyol, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

“We have been in touch with Mauricio. He spoke to the gamers earlier than the match through video on the lodge.

“We spoke earlier than the match, at half-time and simply afterwards. We’ll in fact keep up a correspondence in the course of the week.

“We already know what we can be doing in coaching. After all it is not the identical with out him, however we have now been working collectively for eight years so we all know what we have to put the emphasis on.”

Neymar made his return to the beginning line-up in Angers for the primary time since struggling an ankle damage in a defeat to Lyon a month in the past.

With Kylian Mbappe and Angel di Maria additionally beginning behind Moise Kean in assault, it was a powerful Parisian line-up however they appeared to play inside themselves in opposition to an Angers facet who sit seventh.

The house crew even virtually went forward early within the second half when a Lois Diony diving header from shut vary was effectively saved by Keylor Navas.

Stephane Bahoken additionally noticed an try deflected over earlier than PSG broke by means of.

Alessandro Florenzi’s cross from the proper was inadvertently helped on by Angers defender Romain Thomas for Kurzawa, arriving from left-back, to attain his first objective in virtually a 12 months with a first-time cushioned volley on the again put up.

It was a 3rd win in 4 video games for PSG since former Spurs coach Pochettino was appointed two weeks in the past.

He gained his maiden trophy in midweek when the reigning Ligue 1 champions beat Marseille 2-1 to say the Champions Trophy, the French equal of a Tremendous Cup.

‘Depressing’ Marseille crushed

Earlier than Lyon play on Sunday evening, third-placed Lille may go degree on factors once more with PSG in the event that they beat Reims.

In the meantime Marseille’s hopes of staying within the title race have been dealt one other blow earlier on Saturday as Florian Thauvin missed a penalty in a shock 2-1 house defeat by struggling Nimes.

France World Cup winner Thauvin despatched a woeful spot-kick huge within the first half and Swedish winger Niclas Eliasson then transformed twice from shut vary after the break to present the away facet an unassailable lead behind closed doorways on the Velodrome.

Argentine ahead Dario Benedetto pulled one again late on for Andre Villas-Boas’s facet however this outcome left them with only one win in six Ligue 1 video games.

Marseille are sixth within the league, now 10 factors behind leaders PSG, albeit nonetheless with two video games in hand.

“We danger shedding contact with the groups on the prime, who’re extra constant than us,” stated Villas-Boas.

“We have been very dangerous and we paid an costly value for it. We won’t go from taking part in effectively in opposition to Paris to a depressing match like at this time.”

Nimes transfer off the foot of the desk after their first win in 9, however they continue to be within the backside three.

The 2 sides beneath them, Lorient and Dijon, had their conflict set for Sunday postponed after a Covid-19 outbreak on the Brittany membership.

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