Ezequiel Lavezzi hat trick sees Paris Saint-Germain hammer Lille

Updated: May 17, 2023, 06:17 am
Ezequiel Lavezzi netted three times as PSG hammered Lille.
FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images

Ezequiel Lavezzi scored a hat trick as Paris Saint-Germain stated their Ligue 1 title credentials loud and clear with a 6-1 demolition of Lille.

Goals from Maxwell and Edinson Cavani inside the first four minutes set the scene and Lavezzi struck twice before half-time to make the game safe.

Marko Basa pulled one back but Cavani's penalty and another Lavezzi strike rounded off a win that lifts PSG three points ahead of Lyon, who play Reims on Sunday.

Laurent Blanc's two-time reigning champions have spent much of the season looking up at the pace-setters, first Marseille and then Les Gones, but may be coming into form at just the right time even without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

They wasted no time taking the initiative on Saturday as Javier Pastore sent Serge Aurier clear down the right and his cross was volleyed in superbly by his fellow full-back Maxwell.

The in-form Pastore was involved again three minutes later when he received Thiago Motta's pass and teed up Cavani to curl past goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama.

It took nearly 20 minutes for a shell-shocked Lille to muster their first clear chance as Nolan Roux headed wide and Sofiane Boufal's solo effort drew a good save from Salvatore Sirigu.

And they were soon facing a steeper deficit when Motta broke away and found Cavani, who pulled the ball across for Lavezzi to fire into the roof of the net.

Not even an injury to Sirigu, who gave way to Nicolas Douchez, could slow PSG as they scored a fourth three minutes before half-time.

Cavani and Blaise Matuidi combined to create the chance and Lavezzi hammered the ball first-time past Enyeama from eight yards.

Lille at least showed some resistance as Basa pulled a goal back just before the hour with a looping header over Douchez, who had misjudged Boufal's corner.

Cavani went close five minutes later but made no mistake in the 73rd minute. Corchia fouled Lavezzi in the box, collecting a second yellow card for his troubles, and rather than allow Lavezzi to go for his hat-trick Cavani stepped up to send Enyeama the wrong way.

Lavezzi had his moment of glory four minutes later, though, when he was picked out by the impressive Pastore and fired another first-time right-foot finish past Enyeama.