YOURI DJORKAEFF grabbed a last minute goal to give Paris Saint Germain a 1-0 win against Deportivo La Coruna in their European Cup Winners Cup semi final first leg match in La Coruna, Spain last night.
PSG, the Cup favourites after knocking out Parma in the previous round, gave Spanish born coach Luis Fernandez a much needed boost - he is under pressure to win both the league and the Cup Winners Cup this season.
Djorkaeft, who came on only nine minutes from the end as a substitute, shrugged off two defenders and scored from 25 yards.
The French international got hold of Deportivo defender Salvador Voro's headed clearance, cut inside both him and Yugoslavian Miroslav Djukic, unleashing a shot that left keeper Francisco Liano standing as it curled beyond him.
"We deserved the win because we were so strong defensively. To score a goal after returning from injury is something else," beamed 28 year old Djorkaeff.
The former Monaco man, out injured for the last few weeks, replaced the ineffective Panamanian Julio Dely Valdes, scorer of just one goal since Christmas.
Dely Valdes had come closest to scoring for the French side, who lost their league lead last weekend, with a 68th minute header, after he was left unmarked.
His lack of confidence showed as his weak header was brilliantly tipped over by Liano, who had to make his ground to save it.
Goalkeeper Bernard Lama kept PSG, who were missing their injured Brazilian playmaker Rai, in the match with two brilliant double saves in the second half.
