Lucas and Ibrahimovic score as PSG beats Shakhtar 2-0
PARIS (AP) - Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lucas set each other up for goals as Paris Saint-Germain beat Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in their final Champions League group game on Tuesday.
With Real Madrid having already secured first place in Group A and PSG guaranteed second spot, there was nothing at stake for home fans on a chilly night at Parc des Princes.
Those who attended endured a frustrating first half, but Lucas took his chance well almost an hour in with a clean strike into the left corner.
Lucas then headed a long ball down into Ibrahimovic's path, and he finished with an equally crisp shot near the end to make him PSG's all-time leading scorer in Europe with 17.
He had an eventful night, clearing one Shakhtar header off the line in the second half, and almost scoring an own goal late in the first only for goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to react in time.
Shakhtar, which finished third to qualify for the Europa League, had chances but its star midfielder Alex Teixeira was unusually wasteful in front of goal.
PSG coach Laurent Blanc kept regulars Thiago Silva, forward Edinson Cavani, and winger Angel di Maria on the bench.
Shakhtar has been in good scoring form, with 34 in the past eight matches, and coach Mircea Lucescu's side almost caught PSG napping after five minutes.
Left back Ismaily found space down the flank but striker Eduardo somehow skewered wide with the goal gaping.
The next to miss was Teixeira, whose nine goals in six games made him a big threat, but he failed to control a ball that landed invitingly at his feet near the penalty spot.
In between those chances, Shakhtar goalkeeper Anton Kanibolotskiy rushed his clearance, and the ball landed at Ibrahimovic's feet on the left of the penalty area. But his quick lob sailed over.
Ibrahimovic threw his arms up in annoyance shortly before halftime when Lucas got free down the right but then played the ball behind him.
The imposing forward turned provider on PSG's next attack, teeing up right back Gregory van der Wiel, who drilled a shot just wide of the left post.
Shakhtar should have punished PSG's profligacy, but Teixeira left his shooting boots behind at the airport, scooping well over from eight meters out.
It was a costly miss as Lucas struck soon after.
Di Maria added some much-needed urgency when he came on and played in Ibrahimovic with a clever pass, but he poked wide with only the goalie to beat.
Astonishingly, that miss drew jeers from some sections of the crowd - despite Ibrahimovic being the club's all-time leading scorer with 120 goals.
But the fans were indebted to him at both ends, as he headed Yaroslav Rakitskiy's header off the line when Shakhtar pushed for an equalizer.