Ancelotti relieved by changing fortunes
Paris Saint-Germain boss Carlo Ancelotti believes his side's convincing 4-0 win over Valenciennes on Tuesday gave a strong indication that they are serious challengers for the Ligue 1 title this season.
A Zlatan Ibrahimovic hat-trick, taking his season tally to 17 goals, and an Ezequiel Lavezzi strike moved PSG to within two points of leaders Lyon, who travel to the Parc des Princes this weekend.
After a strong start to the season, PSG hit a form slump, taking just one win from five league outings.
But consecutive 4-0 results and progression to the Champions League round of 16 has allowed Carlo Ancelotti to regain faith in his team.
"It was a good test for the team tonight," Ancelotti said. "After two good home games, against Porto and Evian, we needed to register a good performance on the road.
"We're very happy because in the space of ten days, a lot of things have changed. We were compact tonight; we worked well in attack and defence. We had a lot of chances in the first half before improving and converting our chances in the second."
Midfielder Blaise Matuidi immediately turned his attention to Sunday's clash with Lyon, warning his opponents to expect a stern challenge.
"We've become aware of a lot of things lately and that really helped our confidence," Matuidi told Canal+. "Everyone's making an effort and the results are following on.
"Tonight, we won in style against an in-form opponent and we need to keep up the good work. We'll do our best to deliver the same kind of performance on Sunday against Lyon at the Parc. We really want to put on a show for our fans in that match."
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