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Paris Saint-Germain kept in touch with Lyon at the top of the table after securing a scrappy 1-0 win over Strasbourg on Saturday.
With Lyon beating Monaco earlier in the day, the pressure was on Laurent Fournier’s side to get back to winning ways in front of their own supporters. They had taken just one point from their last two matches but, against a Strasbourg side yet to win this season, PSG duly registered their fourth success. They now have 13 points, three fewer than Lyon.
Bonvaventure Kalou was heavily criticised in his homeland after the Ivory Coast’s defeat by Cameroon last weekend, but he was back in form at the Parc des Princes. Kalou’s pass to Jérôme Rothen created the game’s first chance on 13 minutes but Rothen’s shot was saved by Stéphane Cassard.
Cassard then came on top in a one-on-one with Pedro Pauleta moments later, but Strasbourg were kicking themselves for not going ahead on 23 minutes. Guillaume Lacour prodded the ball to Haikel Gmamdia whose shot was brilliantly tipped wide by Lionel Letizi.
The save proved a turning point in the match as, five minutes later, PSG scored the only goal of the encounter. Pauleta’s shot deflected fortuitously into the path of Kalou and he had the Parisian supporters on their feet with a good finish from the edge of the penalty area.
Kalou should have doubled the lead before half-time but struck his shot too close to Cassard when well placed inside the box.
PSG looked to up the tempo in the second half, but Cassard was in inspired form, producing three excellent saves in quick succession, all from Paulela.
Strasbourg’s hopes faded on the hour when Abd Rabo Hosni picked up a second yellow card for a foul on Vikash Dhorasoo. The visitors failed to create a single clear chance to equalise, as the match petered out without a lot of excitement.
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