Zlatan Ibrahimovic continued his fine form in front of goal as he sent Paris Saint-Germain through to the last 16 of the Champions League.

The Swedish striker netted his 18th goal of the season after seven minutes against Greek side Olympiakos to book PSG’s place in the knock-out stages.

Earlier in the night the striker’s autobiography — I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic — missed out on the prestigious sports book of the year prize to Jamie Reid’s Doped. But the PSG star seemed more than happy to let his feet do the talking.

There was a sour note for PSG when Marco Verratti was sent off one minute into the second half, and then ten minutes from time Kostas Manolas made it 1-1, but Edinson Cavani netted in the final minute to make sure of the win and secure their passage into the knock-out stages.

PSG had drawn 1-1 with Anderlecht in their previous game and again looked vulnerable to counterattacks — even before Verratti’s red card.

The temperamental Italian midfielder only had himself to blame because the first yellow was needless — a blatant handball to stop an Olympiakos attack from midfield — and the second was careless as he tugged back David Fuster’s shirt. It looked like it was going to be an easy night when PSG started at their usual frenetic pace.

Full-back Gregory van der Wiel was given far too much space down the right and delivered a perfect cross for Ibrahimovic, who thumped the ball into the roof of the net from the edge of the six-yard box to break George Weah’s single-season club record of seven.

But PSG coach Laurent Blanc had warned his players before the match about casual defending and Olympiakos went close to equalising two minutes later, when Joel Campbell tried his luck with a low shot that forced a smart save from Salvatore Sirigu. Van der Wiel was getting behind the Olympiakos defense with ease and almost found Ibrahimovic again moments later, but the shaky defense hacked the ball clear.

Then it was Maxwell’s turn to break down the left and he whipped in a cross that somehow failed to find a PSG player. But by pouring forward in numbers, PSG left themselves exposed at the back and Kostas Mitroglou — the hero of Greece’s World Cup playoff win against Romania — prompted another good Sirigu save in the 34th minute. Campbell then headed over from a free-kick as the visitors enjoyed a decent spell of pressure.

Verrati remonstrated angrily as he sent-off, but Blanc would have more cause to be angry as he was forced into a tactical change with the game largely under control. He brought on Rabiot into midfield and took off winger Ezequiel Lavezzi.

Despite having a player less, PSG pushed forward and earned a free-kick 35 yards from goal. Ibrahimovic hit a fierce, swerving shot and Jiminez flung himself to the right to make an excellent save.

Tempers frayed midway through the second half, and referee Craig Thomson booked PSG’s Blaise Matuidi and Van der Wiel, along with Dominguez and Vladimir Weiss for Olympiakos.

Moments after Ibrahimovic was substituted to a loud ovation, Olympiakos forced a corner. Manolas’s header bounced off Rodriguez’s leg and toward goal, drawing a fine reflex save from Sirigu – but he was helpless to stop Manolas getting to the rebound.

However Cavani ran onto substitute Rabiot’s pass and finished with a powerful shot that gave goalkeeper Roberto Jimenez no chance to send PSG through to the knock-out stages.

Olympiakos’ only other defeat of the season was a 4-1 loss to PSG and the Greeks head into the final Group C game level on points with Benfica after the Portuguese side won 3-2 at last-place Anderlecht

—Daily Mail