PSG were dominant despite late show, insists Cavani

Edinson Cavani felt Paris Saint-Germain were dominant against Ligue 2 side Niort despite relying on two late goals to seal their Coupe de France victory.

Substitute Javier Pastore scored with 12 minutes remaining before Cavani, who also came off the bench, netted in a frantic stoppage-time period to seal progression to the quarter-finals.

The striker now has 36 goals in all competitions this season and felt his side were always more comfortable than the circumstances of the match would suggest.

“We dominated throughout the match and we deserved the win,” Cavani told the club’s website.

“It was a solid performance. We knew before kick-off that it would be a difficult game because Niort are a team that defends very well.”

FULL TIME: PSG move on in the @coupedefrance with a 2-0 win over @CNFC_Officiel !! #CNFCPSG pic.twitter.com/aOD8vyIocG

— PSG English (@PSG_English) March 1, 2017

Head coach Unai Emery made eight changes for the match before having to call on his goalscorers from the bench and praised PSG’s battling qualities after a match played in sodden conditions.

“We are happy because the team battled well,” he said. “There was a great atmosphere and difficult weather conditions – although they are not an excuse.

“We did what was necessary and showed a great mentality and good spirit. The Coupe de France remains an objective for us. It’s important we stay demanding.

“Against Marseille the motivation for us was obvious – but here we have shown that we are able to stay competitive in this kind of match. Our mindset was very good.”