Angel Di Maria scores twice to help PSG cruise to win over Angers

AP Photo/Thibault Camus

---

Angel Di Maria's brace helped Paris Saint Germain claim their 12th successive victory in all competitions with an emphatic 5-1 win against third-placed Angers.

Further goals from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Lucas Moura and Gregory van der Wiel helped secure maximum points for Laurent Blanc's team who moved a seemingly unassailable 24 points clear at the top of Ligue 1.

Pierrick Capelle's second-half strike for the visitors proved little more than a consolation as Angers showed signs of fatigue, suffering a third straight defeat.

PSG looked to take the initiative early on but Lucas ballooned an effort over the bar following some good work in midfield before Van der Wiel forced a decent save from Alexandre Letellier on 25 minutes after latching on to Di Maria's clever pass.

Angers woke up soon after and Gilles Sunu looked to test Kevin Trapp but his effort flew some way wide of the target before David Luiz had to be alert to clear Manceau's dangerous looking cross.

Then, with little over half an hour played, the champions made the breakthrough when Blaise Matuidi picked out Ibrahimovic inside the area and his powerful effort flew beyond Letellier with the aid of a Romain Thomas deflection.

The visitors looked to offer an immediate response, and only a brave save from Kevin Trapp prevented Thomas from heading Angers level before Sunu failed to find the target with a similar effort soon after.

Their efforts were in vain though as PSG doubled their lead just before the interval when an overlapping Van der Wiel latched on to another superb Di Maria pass before picking out Lucas for a straight-forward finish.

And the hosts gave Angers no respite after the restart when Van der Wiel capped an impressive first-half by scoring in the second.

Matuidi was the orchestrator again following some great inter-play with Ibrahimovic and Lucas and his wonderful volleyed pass was cushioned home at the back post by the Dutch defender for a third PSG goal.

Angers were offered hope within five minutes of falling three behind when Pierrick Capelle superbly volleyed home a PSG clearance but Di Maria quashed any potential fight-back moments later with a quick-fire double.

Firstly, the former Manchester United forward guided a wonderful volley over a stranded Letellier on 62 minutes before grabbing a quick-fire brace, delicately lifting the ball over the Angers keeper after bursting into the area from another Matuidi pass.

Ibrahimovic almost grabbed his second of the game late on with a well-placed set-piece but Letellier did well to acrobatically tip over as PSG rounded off another successful evening in the Parc des Princes.