Hoarau late-show puts PSG in the driving seat

Two late headers by striker Guillaume Hoarau earned Paris Saint-Germain a 2-0 victory over German side Wolfsburg in the first leg of their UEFA Cup round of 32 tie here on Wednesday evening.

Having toiled for long periods of the match, the Parisians seemed to be heading for a disappointing stalemate until Hoarau’s intervention put them firmly in control ahead of the return leg on February 26.

“It’s a while since I was into my true rhythm, so it gives me great pleasure to grab a double this evening,” said Hoarau.

“To be fair my team-mates were the providers and I was just the executioner.”

In front of a less than capacity Parc des Princes crowd of around 25,000 – which included French president Nicolas Sarkozy – PSG and their opponents played out a cagey first half in which both sides struggled to create chances.

PSG top-scorer Hoarau sidefooted over just after the half hour, while Fabrice Pancrate should have done better than scuff his shot straight at visiting goalkeeper Diego Benaglio when Clement Chantome’s low centre from the left landed at his feet shortly before half-time.

The home side dominated the second period, but on 65 minutes they were given a real scare when goalkeeper Edel flapped at a cross and Yoshito Okubo flashed a close-range half-volley narrowly over the bar.

Wolfsburg, though, became increasingly penned inside their own half as Paul Le Guen’s side poured forward in search of a goal, and with just over 10 minutes remaining Hoarau rose above a flailing Benaglio to head home Jerome Rothen’s inswinging free-kick and give his side the lead.

Benaglio then had to repel a fierce strike from substitute Sebastien Sessegnon, but he was once again culpable of hesitancy when Hoarau leapt unchallenged to power a header into the net from Chantome’s left-wing corner.

Hoarau then spurned two chances to complete his hat-trick, first sending a deft lob against the base of the right-hand post before spooning a right-footed effort over the bar from Sammy Traore’s pass.