Menez wants long Champions League run

5 December 2012 14:53

PSG winger Jeremy Menez says his team have set their sights on a long Champions League campaign after booking their place in the next phase.

The Ligue 1 giants beat Porto 2-1 on Tuesday in order to secure top spot in Group A, and they will find out who they meet in the round of 16 during the draw in Nyon on December 20.

"You always want to go as far as possible in a competition like this, but we will see who we get in the draw," Menez said.

"I do not have a preference; the most important thing is that, whoever we get, we do not underestimate them."

The versatile attacker voiced his satisfaction with the win over their Portuguese opponents at Parc des Princes, and praised PSG's positive attitude.

"We know that when everyone plays like that we are capable of doing really well. Even after they equalised we kept on playing our football, which shows we were in the right frame of mind," he said.

PSG resume Ligue 1 action on Saturday, when they host Evian.

Ancelotti happy with PSG character

5 December 2012 03:03

Paris Saint-Germain coach Carlo Ancelotti was satisfied with the 2-1 victory over Porto 2-1 on Tuesday.

The win qualified PSG for the next round of the Champions League as Group A winners.

The French club have struggled recently, with one win in five in Ligue 1, but they put those results firmly behind them when Thiago Silva's powerful header put them in front at the Parc des Princes.

Porto's Jackson Martinez restored parity, however, Ezequiel Lavezzi's second-half strike was ultimately enough to win the match for the French capital club after a mistake from Brazilian goalkeeper Helton.

"It was a good match with a good reaction from the team, which showed its character and courage," Ancelotti told PSG's official website.

"Tonight (Tuesday), against a good team in Porto, there was everything that I want to see from my players. The pride of this team, the quality, it's always difficult to build a team so quickly. I am confident."

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi also shared his thoughts on his club's achievement.

"This is a very important victory," said the 39-year-old.

"I am very happy with the game, but not just because we won.

"I'm in a happy state of mind. I loved the reaction of the team tonight. We're still here, have qualified for (our) eighth final, with first place in the group key. It is very important to us."

Midfielder Javier Pastore also stressed the importance of entering the knockout phase on the back of a first place finish.

"It is very important because we finished top of the group, and it was something we wanted, and we did it by playing great football, so we are very happy," the Argentine said.

"We have to be quite satisfied, because we played well today, and we qualified playing good football."

UEFA Champions League Group A wrap: PSG seal top spot

4 December 2012 23:02

Paris Saint-Germain saw off the challenge of Porto as they recorded a 2-1 victory which saw them top Group A in the Champions League.

The Ligue 1 side raced out of the blocks in the early exchanges before taking the lead thanks to Thiago Silva's powerful header.

Porto would soon equalise after a defensive lapse allowed Jackson Martinez to restore parity at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday.

The visitors would be undone by an error from goalkeeper Helton, who embarrassingly let Ezequiel Lavezzi's weak effort squirm past him.

Vitor Pereira's Porto side were patient as they searched for an opener, with Martinez denied by a last-ditch block from Silva.

PSG appeared more resolute than the side that lost meekly to Nice in Ligue 1 on Saturday, as Carlo Ancelotti's side continued testing Helton in the Porto goal.

Alex's header from a corner was well saved by the goalkeeper, before Zlatan Ibrahimovic could not quite connect with a well-worked Gregory van der Wiel corner as Porto remained defiant under pressure.

It would be just before the half-hour when the Portuguese side would finally crack.

Nicolas Otamendi's ill-timed tackle on Jeremy Menez earned him a booking, but the ramifications for his side would be far greater as Silva rose to thump home a powerful header in off the crossbar.

The lead would only last four minutes before Porto hit back on the counter-attack.

Right-back Danilo whipped in a fantastic cross which Martinez headed in after beating a static Alex to the delivery.

For all of Porto's enterprising resistance, they would once more fall behind to a calamitous error from goalkeeper Helton.

Lavezzi held off his marker before his weak shot squirmed under the goalkeeper and humiliatingly crossed the line to hand the hosts the advantage again on 61 minutes.

Pereira's men issued a response, but a glaring chance would subsequently be spurned.

Martinez was found in an open space before his chip was denied by an on-rushing Salvatore Sirigu, and former Marseille midfielder Lucho Gonzalez fired the rebound over.

Ancelotti's men held on despite wasting several chances late on through Javier Pastore and Ibrahimovic, with Porto settling for second.

In the other Group A game, Dinamo Zagreb earned a point in a 1-1 draw at home to Dynamo Kyiv after their clash at the Stadion Maksimir was delayed due to snow.

Ivan Krstanovic's last-minute penalty cancelled out Andriy Yarmolenko's opener to earn the Croatians their first point.

PSG´s Lavezzi wants to dodge Barca

4 December 2012 14:40

Ezequiel Lavezzi hopes Paris Saint-Germain can finish first in their Champions League group to avoid Barcelona in the round of 16.

The Argentina international believes his side can go far in the tournament if survive the first knockout round, and wants to avoid Barca, as well as Italian heavyweights Juventus.

"We want to avoid Barcelona in the round of 16. The Italian teams are always difficult opponents, too," he was quoted as saying by Extratime.

"Milan seem to be less strong than before, but they have plenty of quality and experience in Europe, just like Juventus.

"For PSG, it's crucial to survive the round of 16. The Champions League is very unpredictable after the round of 16.

"Last year, Chelsea appeared to be eliminated after their first-leg loss against Napoli. Yet they eventually progressed and went on to win the competition."

PSG are preparing for their Champions League clash at home to Porto and will finish first in Group A if they win Tuesday's encounter.

UEFA Champions League Group A preview: Porto, PSG eye top spot

3 December 2012 08:12

Top spot in Group A will be on the line when Carlo Ancelotti's PSG host Porto in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Either the French giants or Portuguese powerhouses will be crowned group champions with both already assured of a place in the last 16.

Porto head into the clash at Parc de Princes undefeated this season in the league and need only a draw to top the group at PSG's expense courtesy of their better head-to-head record.

Ancelotti is coming under increasing pressure with his side slumping five points behind leaders Lyon in Ligue 1 after a shock 2-1 defeat at Nice on Saturday.

The Paris outfit endured another frustrating afternoon that saw France midfielder Blaise Matuidi sent off in injury time.

The Italian manager has won the Champions League twice before with AC Milan but knows he can ill-afford too many slip ups at the cashed-up club if he wants to keep his job.

Colombian duo Jackson Martinez and James Rodriguez have bagged 16 league goals between them in 10 matches this season and will lead the line for Porto on Tuesday.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, has proven one of PSG's most influential acquisitions and will pose the main threat to Porto's goal with 13 of his own this season in Ligue 1.

In the other clash, Europa League bound Dynamo Kiev travel to face pointless Dinamo Zagreb, who cannot move off the bottom of the table.

The Croatian champions will be looking to finish on a positive note as the only side in the Champions League yet to pick up a point.