Laurent Blanc jubilant but Guus Hiddink retains hope Chelsea can still rebound past PSG
Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc heaped praise on Edinson Cavani after the Uruguayan played the role of super-sub to give his side a 2-1 win against Chelsea in their Champions League last-16, first-leg encounter.
Cavani replaced Lucas in the 74th minute of Tuesday’s game at the Parc des Princes and four minutes later beat Thibaut Courtois with a first-time finish from an Angel di Maria assist to ensure the French champions will take a lead to London for the second leg next month.
[Cavani] has gone through a very difficult time but I hope the fact he got the goal will be good for him and the team
It was just his second goal of 2016 after a difficult spell which has seen the player signed for a French record transfer fee of US$71 million from Napoli lose his place as a regular starter.
“Whoever got the second goal I would have been happy and I am happy for Edi. He’s a boy who scores goals – we doubt his goal-scoring talents often and then he pops up and shows he can put the ball in the net at any time,” said Blanc.
“He has gone through a very difficult time but I hope the fact he got the goal will be good for him and the team.”
It looked like Chelsea would head back across the Channel the happier after Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s free-kick opener was cancelled out by the rarest of goals – a poacher’s finish by John Obi Mikel right on the stroke of half-time.