Cavani and Ibrahimovic on target as PSG wins 3-1

PARIS (AP) — Edinson Cavani scored twice and Zlatan Ibrahimovic got his first club goal for nearly three months as Paris Saint-Germain overcame a second-half wobble to beat Ajax 3-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday.

PSG stays one point ahead of Barcelona in Group F before they meet at the Nou Camp in two weeks' time. Both teams had already qualified before Tuesday's games.

"We'll go there and play the way we know how," PSG coach Laurent Blanc said. "We know Barcelona will cause us problems. But I think we can give them some problems, too."

However, PSG was sloppy for long spells and Blanc acknowledges his players need to improve.

"That's the second time we've been behind (Ajax) in terms of possession. They played better football than us," he said. "We know that we're not dominating teams at the moment. You have to analyze and try to understand why."

After Cavani tapped Ezequiel Lavezzi's pass into an empty net in the 33rd minute to score for the third successive European game, Davy Klaassen leveled with a powerful header midway through the second half.

Ibrahimovic soothed the nerves with an expertly-taken goal in the 78th,.

Five minutes later, Cavani profited from a poor back pass from Ajax midfielder Niki Zimling to round Netherlands goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen and slot home.

Just like in the away game in September, which finished 1-1, PSG was in control for the first hour before an alarming dip in concentration.

"They have players with a (certain) nonchalance," Ajax coach Frank De Boer said. "I think if they play (against) Barcelona like this it will be very difficult."

Ajax's equalizer came after a neat passing move.

PSG's players just sat back and watched as Ajax put a few passes together in midfield, before spreading the ball left. Given time to look up, 19-year-old winger Ricardo Kishna whipped in a perfect cross and Klaassen's header flashed past goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

Moments after Ajax midfielder Lasse Schone clipped a free kick just over, Ibrahimovic showed just why defenders should never let him turn.

Collecting a bouncing pass from Javier Pastore on the right of the penalty area, he cushioned it brilliantly and then arched his body to plant a diagonal shot into the bottom corner.

"The second and third goals we conceded were stupid," De Boer said.

Ibrahimovic had not scored for PSG since a hat trick against Saint-Etienne on Aug. 31.