Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani all scored as Paris Saint-Germain began their Champions League campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Celtic in Glasgow on Tuesday.
Brazilian
Neymar continued to pay back his 222 million-euro ($264 million) world
record transfer fee with his fifth goal in five games to put PSG in
front before he set up Mbappe to make it 2-0.
Edinson
Cavani then converted from the penalty spot five minutes before the
break and things got worse for Celtic in the second half.
Mikael
Lustig's 83rd-minute own goal and Cavani's angled header two minutes
later heaped more misery on the Scottish champions, who could yet find
themselves in trouble with UEFA after a fan managed to make his way onto
the pitch to aim a kick at Mbappe during the first half.
"The
most difficult thing here is to cope with the rhythm and intensity they
play with and, of course, with the support they have," PSG coach Unai
Emery said.
"I think my team showed a lot
of character. It was a real team effort and they showed a real
controlled approach to the match, which I am really pleased with."
The
emphatic win propels PSG to the top of Group B on goal difference from
Bayern Munich, who beat Anderlecht 3-0 and who the French side host in a
fortnight.
The nature of the victory was
also a real statement of intent from this summer's big spenders who are
determined to make a bigger impression than ever before on Europe's
elite club competition.
Following last
season's collapse to Barcelona in the last 16 -- a tie in which Neymar
starred for the Catalan giants -- this European campaign was always
going to be about a test of PSG's mettle rather than their flair.
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Paris
Saint-Germain's striker Kylian Mbappe (R) vies with Celtic's midfielder
Olivier Ntcham during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match
September 12, 2017(AFP)
However,
the French side's superstars -- and in particular their front three,
christened the 'MCN' in France -- showed no signs of fear inside the
intimidating atmosphere of Celtic Park as the gulf in class between the
sides showed from the start.
PSG's pressure soon paid off but Neymar's opener wasn't without controversy.
Celtic
felt they should have had a free-kick in the PSG half after Scott
Sinclair went down but the visitors took full advantage as Adrian
Rabiot's quickly-played ball behind Anthony Ralston found the Brazilian
who expertly lifted a shot over Craig Gordon.
Moment of madness
Emery
had identified Leigh Griffiths as the danger man for Celtic before the
game and the striker came close to an equaliser when his curling
free-kick was tipped over by Alphonse Areola.
Mbappe
then showed why PSG are prepared to make him the world's second-most
expensive player when he grabbed his second goal in two games since
joining on a season-long loan from Monaco.
Neymar's
headed ball across goal was missed by Cavani but the 18-year-old, who
PSG have an option to buy for a fee that could reach 180 million euros,
pounced to fire home.
play
Paris
Saint-Germain's striker Neymar (L) vies with Celtic's midfielder Scott
Brown during the UEFA Champions League Group B football match September
12, 2017(AFP)
A
moment of madness from Celtic allowed the French side to add to their
advantage before the break as Jozo Simunovic needlessly pulled back
Cavani in the box.
The Uruguayan took the spot-kick himself and sent Gordon the wrong way.
Celtic
improved after the break as PSG took their foot off the gas but two
late goals left the Scottish giants with their biggest ever home loss in
Europe.
Lustig scored an own goal after
substitute Julian Draxler drilled the ball across goal before Cavani
rose at the back post to send a sublime angled header past Gordon from
Layvin Kurzawa's cross.
"Defensively we
were just too far off them and secondly I was disappointed in how we
retained the ball. We didn't keep the ball for long enough," Celtic
manager Brendan Rodgers said.
"If you do that against what is arguably the best team in the world just now they will punish you."
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