Neymar
scored twice, including a first-half penalty, and created another goal
as Paris Saint-Germain hammered previously unbeaten Bordeaux 6-2 in
Ligue 1 yesterday. The Brazilian curled in a brilliant 30-yard free-kick
after just five minutes at the Parc des Princes before sliding in
Edinson Cavani to double the lead seven minutes later.
Thomas
Meunier’s excellent side-footed finish made it 3-0 to PSG on 21 minutes,
but Bordeaux hit back on the half hour as Younousse Sankhare applied
the final touch to a slick team move. PSG were then awarded a penalty,
the first since a row between Neymar and Cavani over spot-kick duties
overshadowed a 2-0 win against Lyon a fortnight ago, with Neymar this
time stepping up to convert.
Julian Draxler volleyed in a superb
fifth before half-time and Kylian Mbappe added another on 58 minutes,
while Malcom scored a late penalty for Bordeaux, as PSG pulled three
points clear of defending champions Monaco at the top.
Unai Emery
rested captain Thiago Silva for the visit of third-place Bordeaux, who
arrived in the capital trailing PSG by just four points after seven
matches.
The hosts brushed aside five-time European champions Bayern
Munich 3-0 in midweek and the gap in class yesterday was evident from
the start against Jocelyn Gourvennec’s team.
With Monaco dropping
points in Friday’s 1-1 draw at home to Montpellier, PSG immediately
signalled their intent as three quick-fire goals left Bordeaux seeking
to limit the damage. Neymar struck early as his magnificent free-kick
flashed beyond a helpless Benoit Costil, with the Brazilian then playing
in Cavani to poke in his eighth league goal of the season on 12
minutes.
PSG were further in front when Yuri Berchiche’s cross from
the left skipped past Mbappe but Meunier ran onto it and the Belgian
international steered past Costil. Bordeaux replied on 31 minutes after
Theo Pellenard demonstrated remarkable composure to thread in Nicolas de
Preville who squared for Sankhare to tap into an empty net.
But a
senseless handball from Otavio gifted PSG a penalty and Neymar, rather
than Cavani whose effort in the Lyon win on September 17 was saved,
tucked away the spot-kick for his sixth league goal. Draxler made it
five in style on the stroke of half-time when he fired in from Mbappe’s
floated cross, and the French teenager notched a goal of his own on 58
minutes after he was released in behind the defence by the German.
Bordeaux
substitute Alexandre Mendy smacked the outside of the post on 69
minutes while a shot from Neymar whistled just wide after a clever
exchange with Draxler. Brazilian Malcom, who extended his contract with
Bordeaux until 2021 this week, netted a consolation in the final minute
after Jonathan Cafu was fouled in the area by Meunier.
On Friday,
champions Monaco were held to a 1-1 draw by Montpellier as Souleymane
Camara struck an injury-time equaliser. After a slow start, Monaco
struck first in the 38th minute as hot Radamel Falcao slid in to score,
but
Camara stunned the home crowd.
French Ligue 1 results
Paris SG 6 (Neymar 5, 40-pen, Cavani 12,
Meunier 21, Draxler 45, Mbappe 58) Bordeaux 2 (Sankhare 31, Malcom 90-pen); Dijon 1 (Kwon 78) Strasbourg 1 (Terrier 90+2);
Guingamp
1 (Thuram 1) Toulouse 1 (Somalia 40); Nantes 1 (Sala 3) Metz 0; Rennes 0
Caen 1 (Bensebaini 35-og); Amiens v Lille - match abandoned due to
crowd safety incident
Playing Today: Troyes v Saint-Etienne (1300),
Angers v Lyon (1500), Nice v Marseille (1900). On Friday: Monaco 1
(Falcao 38) Montpellier 1 (Camara 90+2)
Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar goes down under a challenge from Bordeaux player during the Ligue 1 match at Parc des Princes in Paris yesterday. (Reuters)