PSG cruise to victory

Paris Saint-Germain extended their unbeaten run to 36 games with an impressive 4-0 win over rivals Lyon.

Thiago Silva scored his first goal of the season as Paris Saint-Germain extended their unbeaten run to 36 games with an impressive 4-0 win over rivals Lyon at the Parc des Princes. The Brazilian's second-half strike helped seal the win after Edinson Cavani had fired Laurent Blanc's men into a 36th minute lead before Zlatan Ibrahimovic added two more from the penalty spot either side of the break. Defeat for Lyon, their fifth away from the Stade Gerland in Ligue 1 this season, left the former champions languishing in 10th place and 18 points behind their victors. Blanc's team almost made the perfect start when Marco Verratti picked out Cavani inside the area but the Uruguayan fired into the ground with an acrobatic effort. The former Napoli man was involved again on 15 minutes when he took a tumble in the area under a Bakary Kone challenge but, not for the first time in the game, referee Antony Gautier waved play on when the foul looked the more likely. Verratti continued to pull the strings in the heart of the PSG midfield and his clever chip almost found Ibrahimovic only for Kone to save his team with an acrobatic clearance inside the area. The hosts had the woodwork to thank with 25 minutes played, though, when Alexandre Lacazette turned Thiago Silva superbly before sidestepping Gregory Van Der Wiel and crashing a left-footed effort against the crossbar in the game's best chance so far. Lyon continued to defend well and yet again Kone saved his team with an excellent last-ditch block after Cavani had teed Javier Pastore up inside the area before Ibrahimovic got his first sight of goal only for Remy Vercoutre to match his stinging effort with a firm save. However, PSG made the breakthrough from the resulting corner when Lucas Moura delivered towards the near post and Cavani glanced the ball through a crowd of players and beyond the Les Gones goalkeeper for his 10th goal of the season. The hosts didn't waste any time in doubling their lead when Cavani was hauled down by Vercoutre after 41 minutes and Ibrahimovic converted the resulting penalty in flamboyant style to open up a two-goal lead for the Ligue 1 leaders. Blanc opted for a change at half-time, bringing Blaise Matuidi on for Thiago Motta, but that did nothing to alter the pattern of the game as PSG made it three with 10 minutes played in the second half. In similar fashion to the opener, Lucas swung a corner in but found Thiago Silva this time and, despite seeing his first effort blocked, the Brazilian thumped home the rebound beyond a helpless Vercoutre for his first goal of the season. There was still time for the rampant hosts to compound Lyon's misery when Ibrahimovic went down inside the area under a Samuel Umtiti challenge before picking himself to dispatch the resulting spot-kick emphatically for his 11th strike of the season.