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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
- Start date
Manchester United Starting Line-up
David De Gea
Marcos Rojo
Phil Jones
Luke Shaw
Antonio Valencia
Wayne Rooney
Michael Carrick
Ander Herrera
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Anthony Martial
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
&
West Ham Starting Line-up
Adrian
Winston Reid
Angelo Ogbonna
Cheikhou Kouyate
Pedro Mba Obiang
Edimilson Fernandes
Aaron Cresswell
Michail Antonio
Ashley Fletcher
Dimitri Payet
Sofiane Feghouli
Last Sunday wagema thamai
Match 1ka lead karaganna puluwan chances set wenawa but no luck
Good luck for the 2nd half Manchester United!
Match 1ka lead karaganna puluwan chances set wenawa but no luck
Good luck for the 2nd half Manchester United!
Full Time
Manchester United 4 Vs 1 West Ham
Manchester United Goal(s)
Z.Ibrahimovic 2',90+3'
A.Martial 48',62'
&
West Ham Goal(s)
A.Fletcher 35'
Manchester United Goal(s)
Z.Ibrahimovic 2',90+3'
A.Martial 48',62'
&
West Ham Goal(s)
A.Fletcher 35'
Congratulations Manchester United!
Well played everyone
Ada movements/passing fast & accurateonna ohoma thamai digatama play karanna one
& Schwini is back!
Good luck for the EFL Cup Semi-Finals Manchester United!
Well played everyone
Ada movements/passing fast & accurateonna ohoma thamai digatama play karanna one
& Schwini is back!
Good luck for the EFL Cup Semi-Finals Manchester United!
Real Madrid 6-1 Cultural Leonesa (agg. 13-2): Mariano triple sends Merengue through with dominant win
Zinedine Zidane's son Enzo scored on his Real Madrid debut and Mariano netted a hat-trick as the European champions prepared for El Clasico with a 6-1 win over Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.
Having won the away leg of this last-32 tie 7-1 a month ago, and with a trip to face Barcelona at Camp Nou just three days away, Wednesday's meeting against third-tier opposition at the Santiago Bernabeu was little more than a warm-up for Madrid as they sealed a 13-2 aggregate success.
Zidane made eight changes from last weekend's 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric all rested.
In their absence, striker Mariano - making his maiden start - took his chance to impress by scoring the first of his goals after just 23 seconds, his first-half double coming either side of James Rodriguez's header.
It was the visitors who scored the pick of the goals thanks to Yeray Gonzalez's fine long-range effort just prior to the break, before Mariano teed up half-time substitute Enzo for his opening goal in Madrid colours, scoring with his very first shot.
Mariano completed his hat-trick with a downward header three minutes from the end and, as Cultural tired, Cesar Morgado put through his own net for the sixth.
The tie was over as a contest by that point and all eyes will now turn to Saturday's Clasico showdown, where LaLiga leaders Madrid will recall their superstars in a bid to extend their advantage over Barca to nine points.This was a lost cause for the visitors from the off and Cultural got off to a nightmare start when they fell behind almost immediately.
Ivan Gonzalez received a pass from his goalkeeper on the right-hand side of the box but his touch let him down, allowing Marco Asensio to nip in and cut the ball back for Mariano, who tapped home.
Madrid doubled their lead midway through the first half as James powered home a header from Dani Carvajal's excellent right-wing cross.Carvajal was the provider again shortly before half-time, finding Mariano with a clever pass around the side of the Cultural defence and the forward made no mistake in taking a touch and rifling a volley into the roof of the net.
Mariano was upstaged on the stroke of the interval, though, as Yeray Gonzalez thumped a 25-yard effort into the top-left corner to give the smattering of travelling Cultural fans something to cheer as the teams headed down the tunnel.Enzo entered the action at the start of the second period and made his mark just after the hour, shooting low into the left-hand corner from Mariano's pass.
Alvaro Tejero's cross was gleefully buried by Mariano for his third, Cultural's misery compounded by the unfortunate Morgado as Madrid made it 32 matches without defeat in all competitions heading into El Clasico.
Zinedine Zidane's son Enzo scored on his Real Madrid debut and Mariano netted a hat-trick as the European champions prepared for El Clasico with a 6-1 win over Cultural Leonesa in the Copa del Rey.
Having won the away leg of this last-32 tie 7-1 a month ago, and with a trip to face Barcelona at Camp Nou just three days away, Wednesday's meeting against third-tier opposition at the Santiago Bernabeu was little more than a warm-up for Madrid as they sealed a 13-2 aggregate success.
Zidane made eight changes from last weekend's 2-1 win over Sporting Gijon, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Luka Modric all rested.
In their absence, striker Mariano - making his maiden start - took his chance to impress by scoring the first of his goals after just 23 seconds, his first-half double coming either side of James Rodriguez's header.
It was the visitors who scored the pick of the goals thanks to Yeray Gonzalez's fine long-range effort just prior to the break, before Mariano teed up half-time substitute Enzo for his opening goal in Madrid colours, scoring with his very first shot.
Mariano completed his hat-trick with a downward header three minutes from the end and, as Cultural tired, Cesar Morgado put through his own net for the sixth.
The tie was over as a contest by that point and all eyes will now turn to Saturday's Clasico showdown, where LaLiga leaders Madrid will recall their superstars in a bid to extend their advantage over Barca to nine points.This was a lost cause for the visitors from the off and Cultural got off to a nightmare start when they fell behind almost immediately.
Ivan Gonzalez received a pass from his goalkeeper on the right-hand side of the box but his touch let him down, allowing Marco Asensio to nip in and cut the ball back for Mariano, who tapped home.
Madrid doubled their lead midway through the first half as James powered home a header from Dani Carvajal's excellent right-wing cross.Carvajal was the provider again shortly before half-time, finding Mariano with a clever pass around the side of the Cultural defence and the forward made no mistake in taking a touch and rifling a volley into the roof of the net.
Mariano was upstaged on the stroke of the interval, though, as Yeray Gonzalez thumped a 25-yard effort into the top-left corner to give the smattering of travelling Cultural fans something to cheer as the teams headed down the tunnel.Enzo entered the action at the start of the second period and made his mark just after the hour, shooting low into the left-hand corner from Mariano's pass.
Alvaro Tejero's cross was gleefully buried by Mariano for his third, Cultural's misery compounded by the unfortunate Morgado as Madrid made it 32 matches without defeat in all competitions heading into El Clasico.
Enzo Zidane scores on Real Madrid debut
Zinedine Zidane's son Enzo has scored on his Real Madrid debut.Messi streaks ahead in personal goal battle with RonaldoThe 21-year-old came on for the second half of his side's Copa del Rey second-leg against Cultural Leonesa and found the net just 18 minutes into his first competitive appearance.
Madrid held a 7-1 lead from the first match between the two and the reigning Champions League holders stormed to a 3-0 lead in the opening 45 minutes, with the opener from Mariano setting a new record as the club's quickest in the competition.
While Yeray Gonzalez pulled one back for the visitors, the son of Madrid's head coach was on hand to extend his side's lead again.The France U19 international was found on the edge of the box and was able to smash it low beyond goalkeeper Leandro to make it 4-1.The home side found the net again through Mariano before an own goal made it 6-1 on the day, 13-2 on aggregate.
Zinedine Zidane's son Enzo has scored on his Real Madrid debut.Messi streaks ahead in personal goal battle with RonaldoThe 21-year-old came on for the second half of his side's Copa del Rey second-leg against Cultural Leonesa and found the net just 18 minutes into his first competitive appearance.
Madrid held a 7-1 lead from the first match between the two and the reigning Champions League holders stormed to a 3-0 lead in the opening 45 minutes, with the opener from Mariano setting a new record as the club's quickest in the competition.
While Yeray Gonzalez pulled one back for the visitors, the son of Madrid's head coach was on hand to extend his side's lead again.The France U19 international was found on the edge of the box and was able to smash it low beyond goalkeeper Leandro to make it 4-1.The home side found the net again through Mariano before an own goal made it 6-1 on the day, 13-2 on aggregate.
Arsenal 0-2 Southampton: Gunners fall flat as Saints reach semi-finals
Arsenal failed to progress beyond the EFL Cup quarter-finals for the sixth season in a row as Southampton beat them to a semi-final spot with a 2-0 win at Emirates Stadium.
First-half goals from Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand did the damage for Southampton, who had lost 2-1 on this ground earlier this season in the Premier League.The League Cup remains the only domestic honour Arsene Wenger has never won with Arsenal, but there was little sign of an appetite to change that on Wednesday.
Wenger made 10 changes to his side and even the Frenchman's attire - tracksuit bottoms poking under his traditional long coat, rather than a suit - suggested this was not a highlight in the Gunners' schedule.
A first defeat since the opening day of the Premier League season, nevertheless, angered the home fans, who met the half-time and full-time whistles with widespread disapproval.
The Saints, by contrast, will be jubilant, having made their first semi-final in this competition in 30 years as Claude Puel continues to keep Southampton in impressive fettle.
Though he too made changes, Puel's side retained considerable steel, with the now routinely excellent Virgil van Dijk marrying physical strength and a calm head to keep a hesitant Gunners attack at bay.
A tense opening to the game was blown apart by Clasie when Sofiane Boufal's shot was blocked into his path and the former Feyenoord man blasted the Saints into the lead from 18 yards.
Arsenal pressed and probed in response, but their much-changed team lacked incision and Southampton defender Maya Yoshida went closest to levelling the scores when he perilously flicked Mohamed Elneny's free-kick just wide of his own goal.The visitors had seen earlier counter-attacks fizzle out, but they sliced through the makeshift Gunners side to extend their lead before the break.
Boufal darted in from the left flank before feeding Bertrand, who took a touch before threading his shot through the crowd and past Arsenal's third-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Elneny - Arsenal's only survivor from Sunday's win over Bournemouth - was forced off before the break and replaced by Granit Xhaka, whose fizzing free-kick forced Fraser Forster into action early in the second half after the England man had also repelled Aaron Ramsey from close range.
That burst early in the period was weathered by Southampton, with Boufal and Sam McQueen seeing shots deflected wide as the Saints continued to make the game's better chances.
Wenger threw on Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, scorer of three goals in the two previous EFL Cup rounds, but the former Saints man blazed over when well placed, sucking momentum out of the hosts' fightback as they meandered to elimination.
Arsenal failed to progress beyond the EFL Cup quarter-finals for the sixth season in a row as Southampton beat them to a semi-final spot with a 2-0 win at Emirates Stadium.
First-half goals from Jordy Clasie and Ryan Bertrand did the damage for Southampton, who had lost 2-1 on this ground earlier this season in the Premier League.The League Cup remains the only domestic honour Arsene Wenger has never won with Arsenal, but there was little sign of an appetite to change that on Wednesday.
Wenger made 10 changes to his side and even the Frenchman's attire - tracksuit bottoms poking under his traditional long coat, rather than a suit - suggested this was not a highlight in the Gunners' schedule.
A first defeat since the opening day of the Premier League season, nevertheless, angered the home fans, who met the half-time and full-time whistles with widespread disapproval.
The Saints, by contrast, will be jubilant, having made their first semi-final in this competition in 30 years as Claude Puel continues to keep Southampton in impressive fettle.
Though he too made changes, Puel's side retained considerable steel, with the now routinely excellent Virgil van Dijk marrying physical strength and a calm head to keep a hesitant Gunners attack at bay.
A tense opening to the game was blown apart by Clasie when Sofiane Boufal's shot was blocked into his path and the former Feyenoord man blasted the Saints into the lead from 18 yards.
Arsenal pressed and probed in response, but their much-changed team lacked incision and Southampton defender Maya Yoshida went closest to levelling the scores when he perilously flicked Mohamed Elneny's free-kick just wide of his own goal.The visitors had seen earlier counter-attacks fizzle out, but they sliced through the makeshift Gunners side to extend their lead before the break.
Boufal darted in from the left flank before feeding Bertrand, who took a touch before threading his shot through the crowd and past Arsenal's third-choice goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Elneny - Arsenal's only survivor from Sunday's win over Bournemouth - was forced off before the break and replaced by Granit Xhaka, whose fizzing free-kick forced Fraser Forster into action early in the second half after the England man had also repelled Aaron Ramsey from close range.
That burst early in the period was weathered by Southampton, with Boufal and Sam McQueen seeing shots deflected wide as the Saints continued to make the game's better chances.
Wenger threw on Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain, scorer of three goals in the two previous EFL Cup rounds, but the former Saints man blazed over when well placed, sucking momentum out of the hosts' fightback as they meandered to elimination.
Guijuelo 0-6 Atletico Madrid: Simeone's men steamroller hosts
Yannick Carrasco proved key for a much-changed Atletico Madrid side as he scored a double in a 6-0 hammering of third-tier Guijuelo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 32 clash on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone rested a host of his regulars, including the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Diego Godin, for the trip, but the changes had little impact on Atletico's ability to get the job done, as Carrasco played a starring role in attack.
Before getting on the scoresheet himself, Carrasco won the debatable penalty that opened the door for Saul Niguez to break the deadlock.
Sime Vrsaljko produced a smart volleyed finish just before the break to double their advantage, while Carrasco had a decisive impact inside the area early in the second half.
The 23-year-old then took his tally for the season to 10 with a tap-in and Angel Correa added the fifth with a similarly straightforward finish 23 minutes from the end.Youngster Roberto Nunez wrapped things up towards the end, and Guijuelo now face a daunting trip to the Vicente Calderon for the second leg on December 20.
Atletico unsurprisingly exerted control right from the start as their superior quality shone through, but they wasted several opportunities in the first 20 minutes.The visitors did eventually take the lead just before the half-hour mark, although there was more than a hint of controversy about their opener.
Carrasco darted into the left side of the area and, seeing Hector Martinez sliding in, he jumped over the incoming tackle and fell to the floor with minimal contact, before Saul slammed home the resulting penalty.
The Belgian was a central figure again a few moments later, prodding against the post after being released by Correa before then seeing Enrique Royo palm another effort over just before the break.
Royo should have done better on the stroke of half-time, though, as Vrsaljko met Thomas Partey's lofted pass in the area and beat the goalkeeper at his near post with a volley.Atletico wasted no time in putting the tie completely beyond the hosts in the second half, as Carrasco got his first within four minutes of the restart, stabbing home after being released by Correa.
The Belgian's second shortly after stemmed from Royo's poor clearance, and Carrasco ultimately tapped in Nicolas Gaitan's squared pass.And their fifth was not too dissimilar – Correa left with an easy finish thanks to Lucas Hernandez's pass across the face of goal in the 57th minute.
Carrasco's 59th-minute replacement Nunez completed the scoring with five minutes to go, providing a cool finish from 10 yards after Vrsaljko's cross dropped kindly for him.
Yannick Carrasco proved key for a much-changed Atletico Madrid side as he scored a double in a 6-0 hammering of third-tier Guijuelo in the first leg of their Copa del Rey round of 32 clash on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone rested a host of his regulars, including the likes of Antoine Griezmann and Diego Godin, for the trip, but the changes had little impact on Atletico's ability to get the job done, as Carrasco played a starring role in attack.
Before getting on the scoresheet himself, Carrasco won the debatable penalty that opened the door for Saul Niguez to break the deadlock.
Sime Vrsaljko produced a smart volleyed finish just before the break to double their advantage, while Carrasco had a decisive impact inside the area early in the second half.
The 23-year-old then took his tally for the season to 10 with a tap-in and Angel Correa added the fifth with a similarly straightforward finish 23 minutes from the end.Youngster Roberto Nunez wrapped things up towards the end, and Guijuelo now face a daunting trip to the Vicente Calderon for the second leg on December 20.
Atletico unsurprisingly exerted control right from the start as their superior quality shone through, but they wasted several opportunities in the first 20 minutes.The visitors did eventually take the lead just before the half-hour mark, although there was more than a hint of controversy about their opener.
Carrasco darted into the left side of the area and, seeing Hector Martinez sliding in, he jumped over the incoming tackle and fell to the floor with minimal contact, before Saul slammed home the resulting penalty.
The Belgian was a central figure again a few moments later, prodding against the post after being released by Correa before then seeing Enrique Royo palm another effort over just before the break.
Royo should have done better on the stroke of half-time, though, as Vrsaljko met Thomas Partey's lofted pass in the area and beat the goalkeeper at his near post with a volley.Atletico wasted no time in putting the tie completely beyond the hosts in the second half, as Carrasco got his first within four minutes of the restart, stabbing home after being released by Correa.
The Belgian's second shortly after stemmed from Royo's poor clearance, and Carrasco ultimately tapped in Nicolas Gaitan's squared pass.And their fifth was not too dissimilar – Correa left with an easy finish thanks to Lucas Hernandez's pass across the face of goal in the 57th minute.
Carrasco's 59th-minute replacement Nunez completed the scoring with five minutes to go, providing a cool finish from 10 yards after Vrsaljko's cross dropped kindly for him.
Manchester United 4-1 West Ham: Ibrahimovic & Martial secure spot in final four
Anthony Martial and Zlatan Ibrahimovic both scored twice to help Manchester United secure an EFL Cup semi-final spot as Jose Mourinho served a touchline ban in Wednesday's 4-1 win over West Ham at Old Trafford.
The Portuguese was absent from the dugout following his dismissal in Sunday's 1-1 draw against the same opponents, having kicked a drinks bottle in frustration when Paul Pogba was booked for diving.United were behind inside two minutes in that game, but the roles were reversed this time as Zlatan Ibrahimovic swiftly put the hosts ahead.
It was a lead they should have built on, with Ibrahimovic again coming close before Wayne Rooney tested Adrian with a curling free-kick.
West Ham made Mourinho's side pay for their profligacy when former United youngster Ashley Fletcher pounced on a mistake from David De Gea to prod in the leveller, opening his account for the club.
But when the visitors were slow to get going again in the second half, Martial's emphatic finish and a 62nd-minute tap-in from the France forward set United on course for a possible Wembley return, having won the FA Cup there last season. Ibrahimovic added United's fourth in the 93rd minute, with Bastian Schweinsteiger involved in the build-up on what was his first appearance of the season as a late substitute.
Pogba's weekend booking was his fifth of the season, an unwanted feat matched by Marouane Fellaini meaning the pair were forced to miss out, as was Sunday's West Ham goalscorer Diafra Sakho (hamstring).
The home side were quick out of the blocks and forged ahead when Rooney's pass found Henrikh Mkhitaryan and his neat back heel picked out Ibrahimovic to lift over Adrian, who escaped punishment after digging his studs into the Swede.
It ought to have been 2-0 just five minutes later, but Adrian denied Ibrahimovic after the visiting defence had parted and Martial failed to get a shot away from the rebound.
Rooney came close to levelling Bobby Charlton's record goal tally for the club with a 16th-minute free-kick that Adrian tipped wide as Mourinho's men continued to look threatening.
Slaven Bilic's side were opened up again on the half-hour mark and, after Ibrahimovic had selfishly opted to shoot when Mkhitaryan was well placed, the loose ball was worked to Martial, whose attempt with the outside of the boot was smothered by the goalkeeper.
Having failed to fully capitalise on their dominant start, United were pegged back 10 minutes before the break when De Gea fumbled Dimitri Payet's tame strike and Fletcher was on hand to turn home on the follow-up.
Just as in the first half, the hosts kicked off the second with clear intent and regained the lead three minutes after the restart. Antonio Valencia's clever flick freed the impressive Mkhitaryan inside the box, with the Armenian's cutback blasted in by Martial.
A skidding Ibrahimovic free-kick was tricky for Adrian, who saved on that occasion but was soon beaten by Martial's tap-in from Valencia's pass across goal as the Red Devils finally took control.
West Ham never threatened a comeback and, while United - who added gloss via Ibrahimovic's late close-range finish - now have perhaps a welcome distraction from their modest Premier League form, Bilic's men return to top-flight action on Saturday against fellow quarter-final losers Arsenal with only a one-point gap to the bottom three.three.
Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Angers: Cavani nets landmark goal in routine win
Edinson Cavani scored the 100th goal of his Paris Saint-Germain career to help the reigning Ligue 1 champions to a 2-0 win over Angers at the Parc des Princes.
The 29-year-old was high on confidence heading into Wednesday's game following his double in the 2-1 win over Lyon on Sunday, but he struggled to make much of an impact in the first half as he failed to register a single shot.
Cavani, tasked with filling the boots of the club's all-time highest goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic this term, did find the net after the break, though, converting a penalty for the landmark goal after Hatem Ben Arfa was brought down inside the area by Romain Thomas.
The Uruguayan then earned a booking for removing his shirt to display the crest of Brazilian side Chapecoense, honouring those who lost their lives in a plane crash in Colombia on Tuesday.
Thiago Silva had previously opened the scoring for PSG with a fine header in the first half, just moments after denying Angers captain Cheikh N'Doye the opener with a superb goal-line clearance.
PSG's win sees them leapfrog Monaco, who drew 1-1 with Dijon on Tuesday, into second place in the table, trailing leaders Nice by one point after 15 games.
The first half-chance of the game fell to Angers when Nicolas Pepe tried his luck with an ambitious long-range strike after just four minutes, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola just getting a hand out to push it wide.
PSG struggled to create any major chances of note in the opening stages, although Lucas Moura fired high and wide from a narrow angle after a good run down the right, while Ben Arfa felt he should have been awarded a penalty after a duel with N'Doye.
The visitors then came close to grabbing a surprise lead when N'Doye beat Areola with a superb header after being set up by Pablo Martinez, only for Silva to come to the rescue for PSG with an important intervention.
Unai Emery's men continued to dominate proceedings, though, and eventually got the goal they were after in the 34th minute via Silva. The Brazilian defender shrugged off his marker from Lucas' corner and beat keeper Mathieu Michel with a glancing header into the far corner.
PSG doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Cavani converted a spot-kick for his 14th Ligue 1 goal of the season. Thomas brought down Ben Arfa with a clumsy challenge inside the area and the Uruguay international made no mistake from 12 yards.
Angers made a number of attacking changes in an attempt to get back into the game, but they lacked the individual quality to trouble PSG as the hosts kept a clean sheet for the 10th time in their last 11 Ligue 1 games at home.
Substitute Jean-Kevin Augustin should have made it three following Ben Arfa's fine pass, but the youngster inexplicably found the side-netting after rounding the goalkeeper.
Jese Rodriguez, another player to enter in the second half, hit the upright with a low shot toward the far corner as it ended 2-0 to PSG.
Edinson Cavani scored the 100th goal of his Paris Saint-Germain career to help the reigning Ligue 1 champions to a 2-0 win over Angers at the Parc des Princes.
The 29-year-old was high on confidence heading into Wednesday's game following his double in the 2-1 win over Lyon on Sunday, but he struggled to make much of an impact in the first half as he failed to register a single shot.
Cavani, tasked with filling the boots of the club's all-time highest goalscorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic this term, did find the net after the break, though, converting a penalty for the landmark goal after Hatem Ben Arfa was brought down inside the area by Romain Thomas.
The Uruguayan then earned a booking for removing his shirt to display the crest of Brazilian side Chapecoense, honouring those who lost their lives in a plane crash in Colombia on Tuesday.
Thiago Silva had previously opened the scoring for PSG with a fine header in the first half, just moments after denying Angers captain Cheikh N'Doye the opener with a superb goal-line clearance.
PSG's win sees them leapfrog Monaco, who drew 1-1 with Dijon on Tuesday, into second place in the table, trailing leaders Nice by one point after 15 games.
The first half-chance of the game fell to Angers when Nicolas Pepe tried his luck with an ambitious long-range strike after just four minutes, goalkeeper Alphonse Areola just getting a hand out to push it wide.
PSG struggled to create any major chances of note in the opening stages, although Lucas Moura fired high and wide from a narrow angle after a good run down the right, while Ben Arfa felt he should have been awarded a penalty after a duel with N'Doye.
The visitors then came close to grabbing a surprise lead when N'Doye beat Areola with a superb header after being set up by Pablo Martinez, only for Silva to come to the rescue for PSG with an important intervention.
Unai Emery's men continued to dominate proceedings, though, and eventually got the goal they were after in the 34th minute via Silva. The Brazilian defender shrugged off his marker from Lucas' corner and beat keeper Mathieu Michel with a glancing header into the far corner.
PSG doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Cavani converted a spot-kick for his 14th Ligue 1 goal of the season. Thomas brought down Ben Arfa with a clumsy challenge inside the area and the Uruguay international made no mistake from 12 yards.
Angers made a number of attacking changes in an attempt to get back into the game, but they lacked the individual quality to trouble PSG as the hosts kept a clean sheet for the 10th time in their last 11 Ligue 1 games at home.
Substitute Jean-Kevin Augustin should have made it three following Ben Arfa's fine pass, but the youngster inexplicably found the side-netting after rounding the goalkeeper.
Jese Rodriguez, another player to enter in the second half, hit the upright with a low shot toward the far corner as it ended 2-0 to PSG.
Hercules 1-1 Barcelona: Alena stunner saves Blaugrana from embarrassing defeat
A superb goal from debutant Carles Alena saved Barcelona from an embarrassing defeat as they drew 1-1 at Hercules in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-32 tie.Luis Enrique made 11 changes with Saturday's El Clasico in mind and watched his side endure a significantly more testing evening than he would have expected.
Barca barely produced a meaningful attempt in the first half and were stunned when David Mainz bundled home for the third-tier hosts shortly after the break.
The visitors needed a stunning goal from 18-year-old Alena to get back into the game – but they failed to push on to find a winning goal and have now won only two of their last six in all competitions.
Paco Alcacer's poor start to his Barcelona career continued as he made it nine matches without a goal since his €30million move from Valencia.The second leg takes place at Camp Nou in three weeks' time.
It was Alcacer who had Barca's first effort, his free-kick from the edge of the area pushed away by home goalkeeper Ivan Buigues in an otherwise quiet start to the match.
Jose Gaspar had a tame shot saved by Jasper Cillessen at the other end, while Borja Lopez – one of three players handed a debut by Luis Enrique - headed over for Barca as they struggled to break down the hosts despite dominating possession.
A frustrating half for the visitors almost got worse when Hercules' Rojas then headed narrowly wide as the underdogs went into the break level.The home side were awarded a free-kick inches outside the box at the start of the second half when Gaspar was brought down by Lopez, with Cillessen doing well to save the Hercules winger's effort from the set-piece.
And Hercules took a shock lead after 52 minutes. Alvaro Salinas' excellent cross from the left was not dealt with by Barca, allowing Mainz to chest in at the far post.
But that spurred Barca into action only six minutes later, with debutant Alena collecting a pass from captain Rafinha and rifling a magnificent left-footed strike into the far corner from 30 yards.
Buigues saved sharply from Lucas Digne but the match was still level going into the closing stages, prompting Luis Enrique to bring on Andre Gomes, while Nili and Marc Cardona came on to become the head coach's fourth and fifth debutants of the night. Gomes headed an excellent chance straight at Buigues, who then had to save impressively from Cardona as Barca pushed for a winner.
The young attacker then lashed over a final chance in stoppage-time as Hercules – who were in LaLiga as recently as 2011 - held on for an impressive result.
A superb goal from debutant Carles Alena saved Barcelona from an embarrassing defeat as they drew 1-1 at Hercules in the first leg of their Copa del Rey last-32 tie.Luis Enrique made 11 changes with Saturday's El Clasico in mind and watched his side endure a significantly more testing evening than he would have expected.
Barca barely produced a meaningful attempt in the first half and were stunned when David Mainz bundled home for the third-tier hosts shortly after the break.
The visitors needed a stunning goal from 18-year-old Alena to get back into the game – but they failed to push on to find a winning goal and have now won only two of their last six in all competitions.
Paco Alcacer's poor start to his Barcelona career continued as he made it nine matches without a goal since his €30million move from Valencia.The second leg takes place at Camp Nou in three weeks' time.
It was Alcacer who had Barca's first effort, his free-kick from the edge of the area pushed away by home goalkeeper Ivan Buigues in an otherwise quiet start to the match.
Jose Gaspar had a tame shot saved by Jasper Cillessen at the other end, while Borja Lopez – one of three players handed a debut by Luis Enrique - headed over for Barca as they struggled to break down the hosts despite dominating possession.
A frustrating half for the visitors almost got worse when Hercules' Rojas then headed narrowly wide as the underdogs went into the break level.The home side were awarded a free-kick inches outside the box at the start of the second half when Gaspar was brought down by Lopez, with Cillessen doing well to save the Hercules winger's effort from the set-piece.
And Hercules took a shock lead after 52 minutes. Alvaro Salinas' excellent cross from the left was not dealt with by Barca, allowing Mainz to chest in at the far post.
But that spurred Barca into action only six minutes later, with debutant Alena collecting a pass from captain Rafinha and rifling a magnificent left-footed strike into the far corner from 30 yards.
Buigues saved sharply from Lucas Digne but the match was still level going into the closing stages, prompting Luis Enrique to bring on Andre Gomes, while Nili and Marc Cardona came on to become the head coach's fourth and fifth debutants of the night. Gomes headed an excellent chance straight at Buigues, who then had to save impressively from Cardona as Barca pushed for a winner.
The young attacker then lashed over a final chance in stoppage-time as Hercules – who were in LaLiga as recently as 2011 - held on for an impressive result.
