Sunday 26 May 2013 23:52, UK
Ligue 1 champions PSG brought the curtain down on a memorable season with a 3-1 victory over Lorient.
Ligue 1 champions Paris St Germain brought the curtain down on a memorable season with another victory as Kevin Gameiro scored twice to down 10-man Lorient. The 2012-13 season saw the capital club seal a first French championship since 1994 and reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League only to fall to European giants Barcelona. PSG also welcomed England icon David Beckham to France for the last few months of his illustrious career and his exclusion from the squad confirmed last week's teary farewell at the Parc des Princes had been his final contribution as a professional player. And so it fell to other stars to steer PSG onto 83 points for the season, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic opening the scoring after the break before Gameiro hit a brace against his former club. Arnaud Le Lan's penalty in the last 10 minutes allowed Lorient some cheer and the Breton outfit closed out their campaign in eighth place. The first half was a cagey affair with Clement Chantome and Ibrahimovic missing solid chances in front of goal following creative plays from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore. Ludovic Giuly - the former Barcelona and Monaco midfielder - retired tonight and his shot from outside the box after 29 minutes represented Lorient's best attempt on goal before the break. Five minutes after the restart, Pastore released Gameiro down the left wing. The France international raced behind the Lorient backline to find Ibrahimovic who, in typically unconventional style, chested the ball over the goalline. With 62 minutes gone Gameiro scored PSG's 100th competitive goal of the season by converting Ibrahimovic's pass at the far post, but he did not celebrate against his former employers. Nor did he three minutes later as he rattled home a perfect cross from Pastore to sew up all three points and another happy night for the travelling Parisian fans. Giuly left the Stade du Moustoir pitch to a standing ovation in the 72nd minute and the Lorient faithful were applauding again when Le Lan tucked home a consolation goal from the spot. Veteran goalkeeper Ronan Le Crom, a half-time substitute for Alphonse Areola, had seen red for his professional foul on Julien Quercia and it fell to PSG defender Mamadou Sakho to don the gloves and try his luck against Le Lan.
