Paris Saint-Germain went into their Group F clash with APOEL knowing that three points against the Cypriots could help to earn them qualification into the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Laurent Blanc's charges went about their task with relative ease as they cruised to a comfortable 1-0 win, courtesy of Edinson Cavani's first-minute volley.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how the game at the Parc des Princes developed.
Match statistics
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Shots: 18
On target: 6
Possession: 68%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 10
APOEL
Shots: 3
On target: 1
Possession: 32%
Corners: 3
Fouls: 8
Was the result fair?
Without a shadow of a doubt. PSG were outstanding this evening and the scoreline fails to justify their creative ability tonight. APOEL hardly played poorly at the Parc des Princes, but their opponents were just far too good. Lucas caused problems all evening and had Edinson Cavani had his shooting boots on, this game could've been over before the break. Particular credit should go to the Parisians' two full-backs, who found space all evening and prevented APOEL's wingers from even daring to think about venturing forward.
Paris Saint-Germain's performance
Blanc's side probably went into this game knowing that a victory was easily theirs. The PSG coach said before the fixture that he wanted an early goal and they got that after just one minute. His side continued to create chances throughout the game, mainly thanks to Lucas and Gregory van der Wiel, and should have put the game to bed before half time. Thiago Silva and David Luiz dominated at the back, while Blaise Matuidi and Thiago Motta ran the midfield with ease despite the constant pressure applied by their industrious opponents.
APOEL's performance
It's hard to criticise the Cypriots' performance in this contest. They've been eliminated from the Champions League without having put much of a foot wrong, they've simply come up against sides that are beyond their own ability. Despite PSG creating a whole host of chances throughout the 90 minutes, the visitors defended valiantly and might have earned a point had it not been for a terrible miss in the first half. Vinicius typified their dogmatic and relentless approach to this fixture and they should do well if they manage to scrape into the Europa League.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lucas:
Cavani's goal might have earned the Parisians passage into the next round, but it was Lucas who dominated this fixture from the off. The Brazilian playmaker was everywhere and it was his pace and guile that put APOEL constantly on the back foot. The winger would have had at least four assists had his side been able to hit the target from their 18 attempts.
Biggest gaffe
The introduction of striker-turned-winger Cillian Sheridan hardly proved to be a prudent piece of tactical work from Giorgos Donis. The big target-man found it difficult out on the left and continuously gave the ball away in vital defensive positions, which almost cost his side on several occasions. He failed to add much going forward either, with a rather cumbersome touch after his introduction showcasing what would turn out to be a poor night for the Republic of Ireland international.
Referee performance
Olegario Manuel Benquerenca controlled the game well and rarely had to stop play. Such was the quality on offer from PSG, APOEL barely had chance to attempt to get a tackle in on their opponents. A tidy, comfortable night for the Portuguese official.
What next?
Paris Saint-Germain: Following Barcelona's victory away at Ajax, tonight's win was enough to give PSG automatic qualification into the knockout stages. They've made light work of the group despite only hitting top gear across every department in one game against Barcelona, and they still have a lot of work to do in terms of converting their chances into goals once the latter stages commence.
APOEL: You have to feel sorry for the Cypriots, really. They've defended brilliantly across their four games in the group, but now having nothing much to show for it. If they're able to put together more efficient attacking moves they could well prove a stubborn side to get past should they scrape into the Europa League.
Christopher Dodd
