PARIS: Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria each scored twice as holders Paris St Germain thumped a feeble Girondins de Bordeaux 4-1 on Tuesday to reach the final of the French League Cup.

The win keeps PSG on track for a third straight domestic treble, and will boost confidence ahead of Sunday’s home clash with Ligue 1 leaders Monaco.

Di Maria opened the scoring for the holders with an unstoppable free kick on 19 minutes and, after Cavani struck twice in the second half with a first-time shot from just inside the area and a poached second, sealed the win late on with a rasping drive from just outside the penalty area that went in off the post.

Cavani has 28 goals in 27 games this season, and is well poised to beat his career-best mark of 38 in the 2012-13 season with Napoli.

He has completely emerged from Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s shadow, and moved level with former Portugal striker Pauleta on PSG’s all-time list of scorers with 109. Only Ibrahimovic has more with 156.

PSG have dominated this competition in recent years, winning each of the past three editions, and Unai Emery ignored any temptations to rest players ahead of Sunday’s pivotal clash with Monaco by fielding a full-strength side.

“We want to play for all the titles and to win as many as possible,” said Emery. “This team deserves its place in this final. [Against Monaco] it’s going to be a big match for the league. We want to win because today they are first.”

Bordeaux battled bravely but were fortunate to get back into the game on 32 minutes when television replays showed that Diego Rolan’s equaliser should have been disallowed for an earlier offside.

PSG will play the winners of Wednesday’s other semi-final between Monaco and Nancy in Lyon on April 1.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2017