Ibrahimovic, Cavani combine to help PSG retain Coupe de la Ligue title
Zlatan Ibrahimovic and substitute Edinson Cavani both scored twice Saturday as Paris Saint-Germain won its first trophy of the season by retaining the League Cup with a 4-0 win over 10-man Bastia.
The Sweden striker, who missed last year's victory against Lyon due to injury, opened the scoring with a 21st-minute penalty after Sebastien Squillaci felled Ezequiel Lavezzi and was sent off for good measure. Ibrahimovic doubled PSG's advantage 20 minutes later to give Les Parisiens a 2-0 halftime lead and, with their numerical disadvantage taking its toll, Bastia were punished further as Cavani scored twice in the final nine minutes to rub salt into their wounds.
The victory means Laurent Blanc's side have cleared the first hurdle in their quest for a quartet of trophies this season. PSG currently enjoy a one-point lead at the top of the Ligue 1 standings and have reached the Coupe de France final and the Champions League quarterfinals.
Ibrahimovic received a four-match ban earlier this week after an expletive-laden rant about match officials at Bordeaux last month, but he put the controversy behind him to shoot PSG into an early lead from the spot. The 33-year-old forward gave Bastia keeper Alphonse Areola no chance when he fired high into the left-hand corner to score his seventh goal in as many games.
He doubled PSG's lead four minutes from the interval in fine style when he unleashed a fierce low volley from outside of the area that left Areola rooted to the spot. Cavani scored both goals as PSG beat Lyon 2-1 in last year's final and he did the same in the closing stages of this encounter as Bastia's resistance finally wilted.
Cavani made it 3-0 with eight minutes left when he headed Serge Aurier's probing cross across Areola and into the net and completed the scoring in the final minute when he slotted home after being teed up by an exquisite Ibrahimovic through-ball.
Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.
