Brace makes Ibra PSG's top scorer

PARIS • Zlatan Ibrahimovic set up one goal and notched two more to break yet another scoring record as Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain crushed 10-man Nice 3-0.

Edinson Cavani got the opener at the Allianz Riviera before Ibrahimovic scored a penalty just before half-time on Friday after being brought down by Nice's Niklas Hult, who was sent off.

The Swede's 86th league goal saw him pass Mustapha Dahleb as PSG's all-time top scorer in the top flight of French football.

For good measure, the 34-year-old scored again in the second half. The win puts Laurent Blanc's champions provisionally 16 points clear of second-placed Caen at the top of the table. Caen were set to host Lille yesterday.

"We knew that record was going to fall. It was just a case of when, because he scores an enormous amount of goals and will continue to do so," Blanc told beIN Sports.

Ibrahimovic has 12 league goals this term, making him the top scorer in France's top flight this season, one ahead of Lorient's Benjamin Moukandjo. Lorient were due to face Toulouse yesterday.

Ibrahimovic's haul has raised the question whether PSG will be tempted to offer him a new deal when his existing contract expires next summer.

Already the club's all-time leading scorer and top scorer in European competition, the striker has helped transform PSG since signing from AC Milan in 2012.

"He has been, is and will perhaps continue to be capital in the project of the club.

"I think Thiago Silva, Thiago Motta and Ibrahimovic are the emblems of this PSG team," said Blanc.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on December 06, 2015, with the headline Brace makes Ibra PSG's top scorer. Subscribe