Paris Saint-Germain’s players celebrate on
the pitch after winning the French Cup final
football match against Marseille (OM) on
May 21, 2016 at the Stade de France in Saint-
Denis, north of Paris. AFP PHOTO / FRANCK
FIFE / AFP PHOTO / FRANCK FIFE
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored two goals and set
up another as Paris Saint-Germain defeated
bitter rivals Marseille 4-2 to clinch a 10th
French Cup title on Saturday in the Swede’s
final game with the club.
Blaise Matuidi struck PSG’s opening goal
inside two minutes at the Stade de France,
but Marseille hit back just 10 minutes later
through on-loan Newcastle midfielder
Florian Thauvin.
Ibrahimovic then converted a penalty
immediately after half-time to restore the
capital club’s lead, before he played in
Edinson Cavani to add a third goal on 56
minutes.
The 34-year-old Swedish star signed off in
trademark spectacular style with his second
of the evening, the 156th and final goal of
his PSG career, eight minutes from time as
Laurent Blanc’s side repeated last year’s
domestic treble despite a late consolation
from Michy Batshuayi.
“I’m very happy to win my final match with
a fantastic team,” said Ibrahimovic.
“We’ve worked hard over the four years. It
was an incredible adventure for me,
especially when you know how things were
when I arrived and how they are now.
“It’s mission accomplished. I didn’t learn to
speak French but I’ve won everything. I
came, I saw, I conquered.”
Marseille interim coach Franck Passi
lamented his side’s slow start to both halves,
rueing a lack of concentration.
“You must not give away goals like the ones
we conceded because it’s difficult for us to
score them,” he said. “It needed to stay at
1-1 for longer, we had the chances but we
only scored two goals.
“We couldn’t to afford to concede a goal so
quickly, we needed to be more focused.”
With the Ligue 1 crown and French League
Cup already in the bag, PSG were aiming to
move level with record 10-time French Cup
winners Marseille in a repeat of the 2006
final, won 2-1 by Paris.
Ibrahimovic, who last weekend broke
Argentine striker Carlos Bianchi’s single-
season club record of 37 league goals, was
aiming to bring down the curtain the down
on a glittering four-year stay in the French
capital in fitting fashion having already
helped PSG to 11 trophies.
– Fast start –
However, Abdelaziz Barrada fired an early
warning signal to PSG in their quest for
another title when the midfielder’s 25-yard
drive flashed just wide of Salvatore Sirigu’s
right-hand post with less than a minute
gone.
Blanc’s side were ahead though with their
first attack as Angel Di Maria, provider of
18 assists in his first Ligue 1 campaign,
delivered another from a wicked right-wing
cross that was turned in by Matuidi from
close range.
But Marseille, who were hoping to salvage
their season after finishing 13th in the
league, responded on 12 minutes as
Thauvin’s strike from just outside the area
clipped Thiago Silva’s leg to wrong-foot
Sirigu.
Thauvin was fortunate to escape
punishment when he blocked Ibrahimovic’s
goalbound strike with his hand shortly
before the interval, but Marseille were
caught out seconds after the restart as
Nicolas Nkoulou bundled over Matuidi
inside the box.
Ibrahimovic slotted past Steve Mandanda
from the penalty spot to put PSG back in
front on 47 minutes, before Paris’ record
goalscorer played in Cavani to steer home a
third nine minutes later after Chile
international Mauricio Isla lost possession
in midfield.
Matuidi then released Ibrahimovic to stroke
home a fourth on 82 minutes and guarantee
PSG a 10th successive win over Marseille,
despite Batshuayi converting a rebound
three minutes from the end after Sirigu
could only parry Benjamin Mendy’s low
shot.
Blanc then withdrew Ibrahimovic, who will
leave Paris when his contract expires at the
end of June, to a rapturous ovation late on
in the final act of a remarkable chapter in
PSG’s history.
