Saturday 21 March 2015 07:17, UK
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice in the closing stages to complete a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain secured a nervy 3-1 Friday night win at home to Lorient to go top of the Ligue 1 table.
It has been a tough couple of weeks for the Swedish forward, who was controversially sent off against Chelsea in the Champions League last week, and now may face a domestic ban after a foul-mouthed outburst following defeat to Bordeaux last week.
However, he emerged as the hero on Friday, tucking away a pair of penalties as PSG eventually overcame their struggling visitors.
The win puts PSG back on top of the table, although Lyon can restore their two-point lead with a home win over Nice on Saturday.
PSG could have won in more emphatic fashion but they missed a host of first-half chances, with Ezequiel Lavezzi particularly culpable.
They did take a third-minute lead when Ibrahimovic was clattered by Lorient goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte and got up to despatch the spot-kick, although he then required treatment for an ankle injury suffered in the incident.
The hosts then spurned a series of opportunities and were made to pay when Lorient forward Jordan Ayew equalised in the 67th minute, rifling a shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
And Ayew almost scored again moments later, but his volley from a corner was headed off the line by Marco Verrati.
Lecomte then pulled off a pair of good saves as PSG poured forward but he was again beaten by Ibrahimovic from the spot with eight minutes left, after Lamine Kone dived in on Javier Pastore.
The contact seemed minimal but it was a reckless tackle and Ibrahimovic sent Lecomte the wrong way, before bagging his 17th league goal of the season in injury time after good work from Verrati.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc said: “I'm satisfied with the three points. We didn't play that badly but unfortunately, as usual, we weren't very effective in front of goal.
"Normally, after 25 minutes, the match should have been over."
