Paris Saint-Germain, the reigning champions of the past two seasons, continued their perfect start in the UEFA Champions League with a convincing 6-0 win away to Villarreal on Tuesday, at La Cerámica, in matchday four of the league phase.
اضافة اعلان
PSG settled the match in the first half, scoring four goals. Portugal's João Neves opened the scoring in the ninth minute, followed by Désiré Doué in the 12th minute, Senny Mayulu in the 13th and Spain's Fabián Ruiz in the 17th.
Coached by Luis Enrique, PSG maintained their superiority in the second half and added two more goals. Fabián Ruiz scored his second of the night in the 50th minute, and substitute David Pauly completed the rout in the 78th minute.
PSG were without several key players. Ousmane Dembélé and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, both injured, were absent, as were captain Marquinhos and Portugal's Nuno Mendes, who are also sidelined through injury. None of this appeared to affect the team.
Magnus Akliouche was the standout performer, providing two assists. Neves set up Pauly's goal, while Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi, who wore the captain's armband, was one of the most active players for the Parisian side.
PSG took advantage of defensive errors by the hosts to seal the result in the first half.
The first goal came from a corner that bounced off Ecuadorian defender William Pacho in front of goal, leaving Neves to finish from close range in the ninth minute.
Doué added the second in the 12th minute, pouncing on a loose ball from Akliouche that was not properly cleared by veteran Hungarian goalkeeper Péter Gulácsi. The young international finished the chance, his third goal in three matches.
Mayulu made it three in the 13th minute, from a loose ball after a shot by Neves, which followed a Hakimi backheel. Mayulu struck it first time with his left foot from close range, his first goal of the season in the competition.
Ruiz scored the fourth in the 17th minute, slotting a low shot with his left foot past Gulácsi after a pass from Akliouche inside the box.
The Villarreal fans whistled their team off the pitch, angry at the defensive errors that led to four goals in under 20 minutes.
Ruiz completed his brace early in the second half, in the 50th minute, when Portugal's Vitinha played him through behind the defence. He ran into the box and fired home. Pauly finished the rout in the 78th minute, with a powerful strike from inside the box after a precise pass from Neves.
A 17-year-old right-back, who came on in the 76th minute, also made his debut in the match.
The win was PSG's fourth straight, lifting them to 12 points and temporarily to the top of the table, pending Wednesday's matches involving Real Madrid and AEK Athens, and Liverpool and Fenerbahçe. Villarreal suffered their third defeat, remaining on three points and dropping to 29th place.
With this win in their first meeting with Villarreal, PSG equalled the record for the longest unbeaten run by a French club in the Champions League, at 14 matches. That record was set by Lyon between 2004 and 2006.
