PARIS – Mauro Icardi broke a long scoring drought by netting both goals in Paris Saint-Germain’s comfortable 2-0 Ligue 1 win at Reims on Sunday night.
PSG, who opened the league season with two losses, won 2-0 for a third straight league game and are now seventh, four points behind leaders Rennes.
“It’s important for a striker to score goals,” said Icardi after making the scoresheet for the first time since February.
“Today we lacked the efficiency to kill the match earlier, but we are happy with the result.”
For the first time since the French Cup final on July 24, PSG started their all their ‘Fantastic Four’, of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Angel di Maria and Icardi.
The quartet has been kept apart by positive Covid-19 tests, an injury to Mbappe, a suspension to Neymar and coach Thomas Tuchel’s decision to drop Icardi to the bench for the Champions League semi-final and final.
Even so, PSG exercised their option to turn Icardi’s loan from Inter Milan into a permanent deal and the Argentine took over the number nine shirt from the departed Edinson Cavani.
Icardi stayed cool after nine minutes when Mbappe’s pass was a little behind him, defying his long dry spell by controlling the ball neatly with his heel and then driving a low shot inside the far post.
PSG dominated but failed to convert their chances.
Reims, who went to extra time on Thursday as they were eliminated from the Europa League on penalties by Hungarians Fehervar, almost levelled when substitute Boulaye Dia hit the post in the 61st minute.
But seconds later Icardi struck to seal the points. After a neat move, Mbappe rolled a pass to the unmarked forward, who tapped the ball in. – AFP, September 28, 2020
