Zlatan helps PSG defeat Nantes, stay unbeaten in Ligue 1 play

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Sep 26, 2015

League leader Paris Saint-Germain came from behind to win 4-1 at Nantes and maintain its unbeaten start to the season on Saturday.

Yacine Bammou, who worked selling Zlatan Ibrahimovic shirts in the PSG shop little more than two years ago, opened the scoring for Nantes in the 11th minute and hit the post moments later.

PSG was a different side after the break and Ibrahimovic leveled three minutes into the second half with his 108th goal for the club. The Sweden international is one goal away from equaling Pauleta's record as PSG's top scorer.

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Substitute Edinson Cavani headed PSG in front in the 73rd and Angel Di Maria, who had set up the previous two, got on the scoresheet himself with 10 minutes remaining. Serge Aurier scored in stoppage time.

PSG moved provisionally four points ahead of Saint-Etienne, which hosts Nice on Sunday. Rennes was level on points with Reims in third after it drew 1-1 at home to Troyes.

Caen also moved onto 15 points with a 2-0 win at home to Ajaccio.

Elsewhere, Lyon rested a number of players ahead of its Champions League match at Valencia and lost 3-1 at Bordeaux, which scored all three of its goals in the first period.

Bastia snapped a four-match losing streak with a 3-0 win over Toulouse.

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PSG coach Laurent Blanc also rested several players ahead of Wednesday's trip to Shakhtar Donetsk and Cavani started on the bench along with Thiago Motta, Maxwell and Blaise Matuidi.

Nantes had lost its past three matches and hadn't beaten PSG since 2004 but took a surprise lead when Bammou headed in Valentin Rongier's cross from the right.

Bammou almost doubled his tally four minutes later but headed Alejandro Bedoya's cross off the base of the right upright.

It was the first time this season that PSG had been behind at halftime.

Ibrahimovic leveled almost immediately after the restart. Javier Pastore crossed for Angel Di Maria and his effort was blocked but Ibrahimovic followed up from close range.

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Cavani came off the bench in the 65th and gave PSG the lead five minutes later as he was left unmarked to head home Di Maria's free kick.

Di Maria all but sealed the match seven minutes later as he ran onto Pastore's long ball, got goal side of the defenders and lifted the ball over onrushing goalkeeper Remy Riou.

Aurier volleyed in Pastore's corner for his first goal for PSG.

Rennes was looking to move provisionally second but was held to a third successive draw.

Jessy Pi scored his first Ligue 1 goal in the 11th minute. Rennes midfielder Mehdi Zeffane cleared Stephane Darbion's cross but only as far as Pi who volleyed home Troyes' first away from home this season.

Brayan Perea missed two clear chances for Troyes either side of the goal.

Fallou Diagne levelled in the 71st, heading in Paul-Georges Ntep's free kick. Rennes midfielder Yacouba Sylla — who had been booked on the stroke of halftime — was sent off following a second yellow card in stoppages.

Pope Francis and Soccer

2011-0524-Cardinal-Jorge-Mario-Bergoglio-Pope-Francis-San-Lorenzo-emblem.jpg — AFP/Getty Images

Argentina's Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) poses with the San Lorenzo team emblem, which he supports in Buenos Aires, on May 24, 2011.

Pope Francis is given a San Lorenzo jersey as he greets the faithful prior to his first 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica during Easter Mass on March 31, 2013 in Vatican City.

Argentina's San Lorenzo team poses with a huge flag behind them with an image of Pope Francis before the start of their match against Newell's Old Boys on March 31, 2013 in Buenos Aires.

2013-0521-Andrea-Agnelli-Pope-Francis-Antonio-Conte.jpg — AFP/Getty Images

Pope Francis talks with Juventus team president Andrea Agnelli (left) and coach Antonio Conte (right) during their audience at The Vatican on May 21, 2013 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis receives an autographed Juventus jersey from captain Gianluigi Buffon (right) and coach Antonio Conte at the end of their audience at The Vatican on May 21, 2013 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Gianluigi Buffon of Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

Mario Balotelli of Italy's national team shakes hands with Pope Francis during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis holds an autographed soccer ball from Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

2013-0813-Pope-Francis-Lionel-Messi-Gianluigi-Buffon.jpg — Claudio Villa/Getty Images

Pope Francis exchanges gifts with Lionel Messi and Gianluigi Buffon of Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis welcomes Stephan El Shaarawy of Italy's national team during an audience at The Vatican on August 13, 2013 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis smiles as he receives a jersey from FIFA President Sepp Blatter during a private audience at The Vatican on November 22, 2013 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis shakes hands with Antonio Cassano of FC Parma during an audience at The Vatican on February 1, 2014 in Vatican City.

An Argentina fan holds a flag with a portrait of Pope Francis prior to a Group F football match between Argentina and Iran at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil on June 21, 2014.

2014-0624-Argentina-fans-Pope-Francis-Diego-Maradona-Lionel-Messi.jpg — Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images

Argentina's supporters hold a banner depicting Pope Francis, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi as they wait for the arrival of Argentinian players outside the Beira-Rio Stadium in Porto Alegre, on June 24, 2014, on the eve of a Group F football match between Argentina and Nigeria during the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

2014-0701-Argentina-fans-Lionel-Messi-Pope-Francis-Diego-Maradona-posters.jpg — Clive Rose/Getty Images

Argentina fans hold posters of Lionel Messi, Pope Francis and Diego Maradona prior to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Round of 16 match between Argentina and Switzerland at Arena de Sao Paulo on July 1, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

A banner with the image of Pope Francis hangs from a stand of Pedro Bidegain stadium in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 13, 2014 during the Copa Libertadores 2014 second leg football final between Argentina's San Lorenzo and Paraguay's Nacional.

2014-0819-Matias-Lammens-Copa-Libertadores-trophy-Pope-Francis.jpg — Giulio Origlia/Getty Images

Pope Francis receives the Copa Libertadores trophy from Matias Lammens as he meets members of the San Lorenzo team during his weekly public audience on August 19, 2014 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis receives a jersey from Diego Maradona during an audience with the players of the 'Partita Interreligiosa Della Pace' at Paul VI Hall before the Interreligious Match For Peace at Olimpico Stadium on September 1, 2014 in Rome.

2014-0901-Pope-Francis-Partita-Interreligiosa-Della-Pace.jpg — Vatican Pool/Getty Images

Pope Francis takes a group photo with the players of the 'Partita Interreligiosa Della Pace' at Paul VI Hall on September 1, 2014 in Vatican City.

Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

Pope Francis shakes hands with Arjen Robben of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

2014-1022-Manuel-Neuer-Pope-Francis-GettyImages-457643492.jpg — Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

Pope Francis shakes hands with Manuel Neuer of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

2014-1022-Philipp-Lahm-Manuel-Neuer-Karl-Heinz-Rummenigge-Pope-Francis.jpg — Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts/Getty Images

(From left) Philipp Lahm, Manuel Neuer and CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge of FC Bayern Muenchen present Pope Francis a team jersey during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis shakes hands with Robert Lewandowski of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

Pope Francis shakes hands with Xabi Alonso of FC Bayern Muenchen during a private audience at The Vatican October 22, 2014 in Vatican City.

2015-0630-Argentina-fans-Diego-Maradona-Pope-Francis-Lionel-Messi-banner.jpg — Juan Mabromata/AFP/Getty Images

A banner depicting Diego Maradona, Pope Francis and Lionel Messi hangs before the start of Argentina's Copa America semifinal match against Paraguay on June 30, 2015 in Concepcion, Chile.