(MENAFN- Arab Times) PARIS Nov 22 (AFP): Champions Paris Saint-Germain went top for the first time this season with a 3-2 win at mid-table Metz on Friday night as star forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic made his first start in two months.
Argentines Javier Pastore and Ezequiel Lavezzi scored either side of a Gaetan Bussman own goal for the visitors who remain unbeaten this season. But perhaps even better news was Ibrahimovic's return to the starting line-up as he managed to complete the 90 minutes while only being denied a brace by his Argentine team-mates. A pair of Modibo Maiga penalties had briefly brought Metz level early in the second half after turning around 2-0 down at the break but they couldn't hold out. Although Marseille can go back to the top by beating Bordeaux at home on Sunday PSG's fifth straight league win and seventh in all competitions puts them top as they hunt down the early-season pace-setters. In truth PSG were greatly helped by their hosts in the first period. Metz needed only a quarter of an hour to completely self-destruct by which time they were two goals down. First up a succession of wayward passes and mis-controls in the centre of the park by Bouna Sarr and Ahmed Kashi allowed Pastore to steal the ball off Jeremy Choplin ride a feeble tackle by Guido Milan and delicately dink the ball over goalkeeper Johann Carrasso. He went to ground somewhat prematurely just a split second before Ibrahimovic arrived to provide what would have been a finishing touch. Meanwhile Lyon extended their unbeaten Ligue 1 streak to ten matches on Saturday with a hard-fought 0-0 draw at Bastia but wasted the opportunity to climb above Marseille into second spot. Hubert Fournier who has enjoyed just two victories in nine trips to Corsica as a player looked on as the seven-time champions failed to break down the rugged home defence. The league's top scorer Alexandre Lacazette was kept quiet and failed to add to his 11 goals this season. Marseille's Andre-Pierre Gignac who is on ten goals will be in action at the Velodrome on Sunday when Marcelo Bielsa's side host Bordeaux. The draw also ended Lyon's five match winning run and they next travel to arch-rivals Saint-Etienne next Sunday. 'It was a very difficult match because they pressed us high up the pitch and made it very hard to get our passing game going' said Lyon's French midfielder Maxime Gonalons.
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