PARIS: Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagged a hat-trick as Paris St Germain geared up for their midweek Champions League clash against Manchester City with a convincing 4-1 Ligue 1 win over Nice at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
Having already secured a fourth consecutive league title, PSG host the English Premier League club on Wednesday in the first leg of their quarter-final.
Ibrahimovic took his tally for the season to 30 league goals and David Luiz also scored for PSG while Hatem Ben Arfa had earlier found the net for Nice.
Ibrahimovic put PSG ahead from defender Luiz’s assist. He gave the hosts a 2-1 lead from a direct free kick after Ben Arfa levelled the score with a superb solo goal running through PSG’s midfield and firing in from 20 metres out.
Luiz made it 3-1 after the interval, and Ibrahimovic sealed the win eight minutes from time with a clean finish.
“We played a good game ahead of Wednesday’s European match against City,” Ibrahimovic said.
“It was a good preparation. We need to continue like this, with the same confidence, the same rhythm, and with a little bit of luck, we’ll get there. Personally, I feel good. The team is doing magical things this season and I’m just following them. They play well, so I play well.”
PSG, who are yet to advance past the Champions League quarter-finals since Qatari investors took over the club in 2011, have 80 points and with six games left lead second-placed Monaco, who lost 2-1 at home to Girondins de Bordeaux on Friday, by 25 points.
Nice, who occupy fourth spot, are one point behind third-placed Stade Rennes, who defeated Stade de Reims 3-1 after French rising star Ousmane Dembele scored a brace.
Both teams, however, will be leap-frogged by Olympique Lyon (49 points) if they win at Lorient on Sunday.
St Etienne also remain in the hunt for a top-three finish after defeating Gazelec Ajaccio 2-0, but Troyes’ relegation was officially confirmed following a 1-0 loss at home to Angers.
Toulouse clawed to within four points of safety with a 2-0 victory over Caen, while Montpellier and Guingamp edged further away from trouble following a 2-2 draw.
Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2016