Off the wire
• Uganda's boxing team targets Olympic tickets in Casablanca  • China beats Venezuela to place 3rd at Belgrade Trophy basketball  • Three out of four Australians prefer vote to decide on same-sex marriage: poll  • Uganda Silverbacks depart for AfroBasketball event in Tunisia  • Ajax and Feyenoord lead table in Netherlands  • Wellens wins Eneco cycling tour back-to-back  • Dollar trades in lower 124 yen zone in early Tokyo deals  • Nigeria appoints coaches for women's cricket team  • Tokyo stocks open higher in early trading after Wall Street gains  • Nigerian boxing coach predicts four gold medals in AAG  
You are here: 　 Home

Roundup: Ligue 1 champions PSG back to top, Marseille fall again

Xinhua, August 17, 2015 Adjust font size:

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain claimed back to back wins after easing past Ligue 1 debutants Ajaccio 2-0 in their first home game of the season on Sunday.

The capital-based club scored through French international midfielder Blaise Matuidi and Brazilian captain Thiago Silva while Ajaccio provided little opposition for Laurent Blanc's side.

Matuidi opened the scoring in the 11th minute when he raced onto a loose ball outside the box, cleared the defense with a touch and fired into the top-left corner of Ajaccio keeper Clement Maury's net.

Silva then added a second 10 minutes later, finding the end of a Thiago Motta cross from a corner and powerd home a header from the center of Maury's box.

Edinson Cavani missed several gilt-edged chances to extend PSG's lead while the visitors were much more resilient in the second period despite offering little in terms of an attacking threat.

Serge Aurier also squandered a decent opportunity with 10 minutes remaining and headed wide.

With the victory, PSG moved to the top of the Ligue 1 standings following up their opening victory at Lille last Friday.

Before the match kicked off, PSG, shorn of the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, paraded their latest big-money acquisition Angel di Maria to the fans at the Parc des Princes.

Marseille began life without Marcelo Bielsa at the helm with another 1-0 defeat, as Reims claimed their consecutive second win to take the second position in Ligue 1 rankings.

With Interim coach Franck Passi taking charge, Marseille, the first half leaders in last season, saw midfielder Alaixys Romao sent off in the defeat where Reims defender Hamari Traore scored the winner just 14 minutes in.

Traore had found the back of the net with a long-range finish following a half-cleared corner, and the hosts could have added a second but for saves by Marseille's French keeper Steve Mandanda.

Bielsa stepped down after Marseille lost 1-0 at home to Caen in week one.

In the other match on Sunday, Benjamin Moukandjo's stoppage-time penalty earned Lorient a last-gasp 1-1 draw with Bastia at Stade Yves Allainmat.

The visitors took a fourth-minute lead through Floyd Ayite, before the hosts equalized after Sebastien Squillaci brought down Denis Bouanga just inside the box and Moukandjo sent Thomas Vincensini the wrong way from the spot. Endi