PSG’s Pochettino relishes ‘special’ French Super Cup triumph
Abdul Gh Lone 14 January 2021 0 COMMENTSParis Saint Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino is eyeing to lead the club to more championship wins as they overcame rivals Marseille 2-1 to win this season’s French Super Cup.
The Brazilian rolled home an 85th minute penalty to put PSG two goals ahead following Mauro Icardi’s first-half opener to give new coach Mauricio Pochettino the first trophy of his reign in the French capital, and managerial career.
“I hope to win more titles, but the first will always be special,” said Pochettino. “We deserved this victory, we payed a good match.”
The Champions Trophy is the French equivalent of a Super Cup, usually contested at the start of the season by the league champions and French Cup winners.
With PSG winning both last season, Marseille had been selected as their opponents as the Ligue 1 runners-up. This season’s edition was delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Related: Mauricio Pochettino closing in on PSG job: reports
Hopes were high for a feisty tussle in Lens after Marseille’s league win at PSG in September ended with five red cards and Neymar accusing Marseille centre back Alvaro Gonzalez of racism in the aftermath.
However it was a largely tame encounter in northern France, with the most noteworthy incident being substitute Neymar’s goalscoring return after a month away.
The 28-year-old hadn’t featured for the French champions since being stretchered off with an ankle injury during a 1-0 defeat to current league leaders Lyon on December 13.
Icardi thought he had given PSG the lead with a 22nd minute tap-in, only to have the goal ruled out for offside after Kylian Mbappe strayed past Marseille’s back line to collect Leandro Paredes’ defence-splitting pass.
Seven minutes later it was Mbappe’s turn to have a goal chalked off when he started his run too early to connect with a long pass from his captain Marquinhos.
Icardi finally put dominant PSG ahead six minutes before the break with a goal typical of his poacher’s style, first meeting Angel Di Maria’s raking long ball with a close-range header that Steven Mandanda pushed onto the post.
The Argentine was quickest to follow up as the ball dribbled back out from the goal, and he tapped in his second goal is as many games since returning from injury.
He almost doubled his side’s lead in first half stoppage time when he hit a left-footed strike back off the crossbar.
Neymar’s last laugh
Neymar returned to action in the 65th minute and was immediately targeted by Gonzalez, the Argentine fouling the superstar attacker several times in what looked like a continuation of the pair’s spat.
However it was Neymar who had the last laugh when he stepped up to score the decisive second goal for PSG from the penalty spot after Icardi was brought down by Marseille’s substitute keeper Yohann Pele.
Dimitri Payet pulled one back for Marseille with a minute remaining but it was too little too late for Andre Villas-Boas’ side.
Follow Samaa Sports on Facebook and Twitter
Share this:
Related
RELATED ARTICLES
News Viewership Statistics
- 24,102 hits
Ad
Recent Posts
- Fact-check: Is Pakistan ATM withdrawal limit being increased to Rs1,000? 23 January 2021
- Watch SAMAA TV Headlines 12am Pakistan – 23 January 2021 23 January 2021
- PPP will overthrow govt through no-confidence move: Bilawal 23 January 2021
- Govt disowned Panama JIT report in London court: Musaddik Malik 23 January 2021
- Alphabet threatens to block Google in Australia over new code 23 January 2021
Old Archives
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018