PSG cruise into League Cup quarters

PARIS, Dec 14: Paris Saint-Germain brushed off the absence of Neymar to ease into the French League Cup quarter-fils with a 4-2 victory at Strasbourg on Wednesday. The Ligue 1 leaders gained a measure of revenge for their shock 2-1 league defeat by Strasbourg less than a fortnight ago as they started their bid for a fifth straight League Cup title.

PSG will take on Amiens in the last eight, after the newly-promoted top-flight club edged out second-tier Tours 2-1.

“We needed to improve from the league game and the team was more focused from the start,” said PSG coach Ui Emery. “Maybe we could have scored more goals and played better after it went to 4-2, but we are still happy.”

With Neymar having only just returned from a visit to his tive Brazil, Emery opted to play Edinson Cavani up front on his own with Kylian Mbappe on the bench.

Home hopes of a repeat performance for Strasbourg were dashed in only the 12th minute, as Yoann Salmier sliced Angel Di Maria’s cross into his own net.

Argenti intertiol Di Maria made it two midway through the first half, capitalising on a goalkeeping error by Alexandre Oukidja to slot in his fourth goal of the season.

Elsewhere, a much-changed Lyon were stunned 4-1 at Montpellier despite taking a 10th-minute lead through teeger Myziane Maolida, as Souleymane Camara scored twice for the hosts. IANS