Paris Saint-Germain continued with their overwhelming start to the season and thrashed Montpellier 5-2 at home this Saturday in matchday 2 of Ligue 1, in a match where Neymar shone with a brace.
With 6 points, PSG authoritatively controls the standings and confirms their good form at the hands of their new coach, Christophe Galtier, who made his home debut on the bench at the Parc des Princes.
Before this Saturday’s triumph, the team from the French capital had won 5-0 on the first day, in Clermont-Ferrand, and 4-0 against Nantes in the Champions Trophy (French Super Cup), in a match played in Tel Aviv.
The first goal of the Parisians this Saturday against Montpellier came in the 39th minute (1-0), with a goal against Falaye Sacko when he was trying to cut off a great pass sent by Kylian Mbappé.
Neymar put the game back on track before the break by converting a penalty at 43′ (2-0) and the Brazilian star extended the account at 51′ (3-0), with a header.
With his leading role this Saturday, Neymar vindicates himself, one day after being left out of the list of thirty candidates for the next Ballon d’Or.
PSG had finished the first day of the French league in the lead, thrashing 5-0 last Saturday at Clermont-Ferrand, and this Saturday’s victory reinforces the reigning champion’s dominance.
– Mbappé scores, Messi does not –
The Argentine Lionel Messi, who like Neymar was not included in the list of contenders for the Ballon d’Or, was unable to score on this occasion, after his brace last weekend.
In the tournament’s top scorers table, Neymar now co-leads with Florian Sotoca (Lens), both with three goals.
Mbappé, who started his official season this Saturday after overcoming some small physical problems, signed his first goal of the season in 69 (4-1), putting his foot in after a rival defender touched a header on a Neymar cross.
The French attacker had missed a penalty in minute 23, when the match was still tied at zero.
In 85′, the VAR annulled a goal from Neymar but PSG signed the fifth in 88′, through a newcomer, the Portuguese Renato Sanches (5-1).
The goals for Montpellier that made up the defeat were achieved by the Tunisian Wahbi Khazri at 58′ (3-1) and by the Cameroonian Enzo Tchato at 90+2′ (5-2).
