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Paris Saint-Germain thrash Real Madrid to reach Club World Cup final

Fabian Ruiz scored twice as European champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) turned on the style in their reunion with Kylian Mbappe on Wednesday, thrashing Real Madrid 4-0 in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup to set up a final showdown with Chelsea.

Ruiz and Ousmane Dembele scored inside nine minutes to stun Real and silence the majority of the 77,542 crowd who were wearing white at the MetLife Stadium outside New York.

The Spanish midfielder added another before half-time, and Goncalo Ramos got a late fourth as Luis Enrique’s side moved one game away from glory at FIFA’s new tournament.

Victory against Chelsea in the Club World Cup final on Sunday would complete a campaign of unparalleled success for the Parisians, who won the French title and then the first UEFA Champions League in their history in May.

After blowing away Inter Milan 5-0, the biggest victory in European Cup final history, PSG began their Club World Cup bid by putting four past Atletico Madrid, and the ease with which they disposed of Real was striking.

PSG’s fluidity contrasted starkly with Madrid, who are a work in progress under new coach Xabi Alonso.

“We were not good enough today,” said Alonso. “We are not the first ones to lose to them, but we have a lot of different things to improve.”

Mbappe struggled to make any impact on his first start at the tournament and in his first game against PSG since leaving the French club last year.

The defeat is a real blow to Real Madrid as they hoped to win the first 32-team Club World Cup to add to their record tally of 15 European Cups.

PSG were without imposing centre-back Willian Pacho due to suspension following his sending-off against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, but that did not matter.

Lucas Beraldo slotted into the defence with ease, and the rest of PSG’s first-choice line-up was there.

Real were missing central defender Dean Huijsen through suspension, while the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold was an added blow.

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The return to the starting XI of Mbappe, who missed the entire group stage through illness, did not prevent young striker Gonzalo Garcia from keeping his place.

But the Spanish giants’ front line, completed by Vinicius Junior, made no real impact, such was the extent of PSG’s domination.

Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois made two superb saves inside the opening five minutes, the first to tip away a Ruiz shot, and the second to deny Nuno Mendes from point-blank range.

Yet, Courtois could not prevent Paris from scoring in the sixth minute, as Dembele pounced on slack defending by Raul Asencio. The Real Madrid keeper saved at the forward’s feet, but Ruiz converted the loose ball.

Three minutes later, the contest was effectively over when Antonio Rudiger failed to control a simple pass from Jude Bellingham, allowing Dembele to run through before finishing low into the corner.

Like his friend Mbappe, Dembele was starting for the first time in the Club World Cup after being injured. That was a 35th club goal since August for a player who is a serious candidate for the Ballon d’Or.

It was turning into a humiliating afternoon for Real as PSG got their third midway through the first half.

A deflected shot by Mbappe was easily held by Gianluigi Donnarumma, and no Madrid player touched the ball again before they were picking it out of their net a minute later.

Dembele released Achraf Hakimi on the right, and he squared for Ruiz, the Spain star taking a touch to hold off Fede Valverde before finishing.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have got a fourth before the interval, while Desire Doue had a goal disallowed early in the second half.

But Real were not coming back, and Alonso opted to take off Bellingham and Vinicius just after the hour mark in a clear sign of surrender.

PSG then got their fourth after 87 minutes when Ramos controlled a pass from fellow substitute Bradley Barcola, turned and fired in.

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PSG, Inter Milan set for Champions League final showdown

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Inter Milan will lock horns in Saturday’s Champions League final, with the French side hoping to win European club football’s biggest prize for the first time and the Italians eyeing their fourth title.

The match, which kicks off at Bayern Munich’s 75,000-capacity Allianz Arena at 9:00pm (1900 GMT), pits an experienced Inter against a PSG team appearing in their second final since the transformative Qatari takeover of the club in 2011.

Whoever wins will succeed Real Madrid as champions, and excitement is notably at fever pitch back in Paris, where around 40,000 people will watch on giant screens at PSG’s Parc des Princes stadium, and a huge police presence is planned around the city.

The climax to the European season has thrown up a mouthwatering clash of opposing styles and ideas of how to build a team, a contest between one of the continent’s old guard and one of the state-owned modern superclubs.

Despite enormous spending, PSG have never won the Champions League before, coming closest when they got to the final in 2020.

That was during the pandemic, when they lost to Bayern behind closed doors in Lisbon, despite the presence of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar up front.

The addition of Lionel Messi a year later did not help them in their quest to claim the trophy, and their brilliant run to Munich came in the season after Mbappe followed the South American superstar duo out of the exit door.

“There have been great times, difficult times, but we have a glorious opportunity to do something remarkable and historic for this club,” captain Marquinhos said on Friday.

Under Spanish coach Luis Enrique, an exciting young Paris side has taken Europe by storm in recent months, with a comeback win in January against 2023 champions Manchester City proving the catalyst.

Since then, PSG have knocked out three more Premier League sides — Liverpool, Aston Villa and Arsenal — en route to the final, and have completed a French league and cup double.

Ousmane Dembele has been their star player with 33 goals, ably assisted by fellow forwards Desire Doue, Bradley Barcola and January signing Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Others like Achraf Hakimi, formerly of Inter, and Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma have also been superb.

“My biggest motivation is to make history for Paris and give the city and club something to celebrate,” said Luis Enrique, who is looking to win his second Champions League title, 10 years after leading Barcelona to glory.

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Victory for PSG would make them just the second French winners of the Champions League — Marseille’s 1993 triumph also came in Munich, at the old Olympic Stadium, and against Inter’s city rivals, AC Milan.

Inter were the last Italian winners when Jose Mourinho’s side defeated Bayern in Madrid in 2010. They also won it twice in successive years in the 1960s.

Coach Simone Inzaghi was already in charge when the Nerazzurri got to the final two years ago and lost narrowly to City.

As many as eight of the team that started that night in Istanbul could do so again here, and an experienced line-up should feature three players aged 36 or over.

Inzaghi’s side beat Bayern in the quarter-finals before getting the better of Barcelona in an epic tie in the last four.

Captained by star Argentinian forward Lautaro Martinez, they will set up in a 3-5-2 formation that contrasts sharply with the 4-3-3 of PSG.

“Last time against Manchester City we produced a top-class performance but didn’t win, so this time we hope to be a bit more switched on,” said midfielder Nicolo Barella, recalling the 2023 final.

“These matches come down to fine margins, but we will try to bring home the trophy, that is the dream for all of us.

“After a season like this one, I think we deserve to win this final,” added Barella, whose side missed out to Napoli for the Serie A title on the last day of the campaign.

It is, remarkably, the first ever competitive encounter between the teams.

While fans flooded into the German city on Friday, back in Paris fanzones have been set up at three locations beyond PSG’s stadium.

Police will deploy more than 5,000 officers in the city and its suburbs during the final after violence erupted following PSG’s last-four victory against Arsenal.

In Milan, meanwhile, tens of thousands will also watch the game at Inter’s San Siro stadium.

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PSG edge past Marseille to take step closer to Ligue 1 title

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) overcame a controversial first-half sending-off to win 2-0 away to bitter rivals Marseille in Ligue 1 on Sunday, with Portuguese duo Vitinha and Goncalo Ramos scoring their goals.

Marseille’s hopes of a first home league win against PSG since November 2011 were raised when the away side had Lucas Beraldo sent off five minutes before the interval.

But the Qatar-owned club still came out on top, with Vitinha exchanging passes with Ousmane Dembele before firing home a superb opening goal in the 53rd minute on a wet night at the Velodrome.

Marseille, who had been unbeaten at home this season, went looking for an equaliser and Jordan Veretout had a goal disallowed for an offside against team-mate Luis Henrique.

PSG coach Luis Enrique then withdrew captain Kylian Mbappe just after the hour mark and it was his replacement Ramos who made sure of the win five minutes from time.

The goal came on the breakaway, with the visitors clearing a corner before Achraf Hakimi found Marco Asensio and he picked out Ramos, who finished coolly for his 10th goal of the season.

Only Mbappe, with 38 in all competitions, has found the net more often for PSG this season.

The result means PSG end the weekend as they started it, 12 points clear of second-placed Brest, who won 1-0 at Lorient earlier on Sunday.

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There are just seven games of the campaign remaining, and PSG need only 10 more points to claim a 10th title in 12 seasons.

The biggest talking point on the night was the red card for Beraldo, the young Brazilian defender signed in January.

He went shoulder-to-shoulder with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, knocking the attacker over just past halfway near the right touchline.

Already on a booking, he escaped a second caution but then referee Benoit Bastien came across to check the VAR monitor and, following the review, surprisingly chose to show Beraldo a straight red card, judging him to have been the last defender.

“I don’t usually judge refereeing decisions, especially when there is VAR,” said Luis Enrique. “The action happened right in front of me, and I didn’t think there was a foul.

“But I don’t come here to talk about the referee, to comment on his decisions or to demand explanations.”

Marseille could not take advantage of the extra man and a second straight league loss means they remain seventh, three points away from the European places.

PSG face Rennes at home in the French Cup semi-finals on Wednesday, and host Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final a week later.

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Kylian Mbappe bags hat-trick as PSG hit six against Montpellier

An unstoppable Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) romped to a 6-2 win away to Montpellier on Sunday that allowed them to open up a huge 12-point lead at the top of Ligue 1.

Vitinha put PSG ahead at the Stade de la Mosson and Kylian Mbappe doubled their advantage midway through the first half, only for an Arnaud Nordin header and a Teji Savanier penalty to bring Montpellier back level at the interval.

However, a marvellous Mbappe goal restored PSG’s lead shortly after the break and Lee Kang-in made it 4-2 before the France captain completed his hat-trick.

Nuno Mendes put the seal on the victory late on, as Luis Enrique’s side ended a run of three successive draws in Ligue 1 and extended an unbeaten domestic record stretching back to September.

A 1-1 draw for nearest challengers Brest against Lille means the Parisians are 12 points ahead at the Ligue 1 summit with only eight games left, and a 10th title in 12 seasons is an inevitability.

Mbappe completed the whole 90 minutes of a Ligue 1 game for the first time since informing the club in mid-February that he intended to leave at the end of the season when his contract expires.

His hat-trick, his third of the campaign, took him to 24 goals in Ligue 1 this season, and 38 in all competitions.

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Mbappe’s second of the evening, PSG’s third, was the pick of the bunch, as he found the net with a superb shot from range which went in off the underside of the crossbar.

The downside of their performance came with the way in which they surrendered their 2-0 lead in the first half, conceding the penalty when Tanguy Coulibaly pounced on Danilo Pereira’s short back-pass and was then clattered by PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

The defeat for Montpellier leaves them just a point above third-bottom Nantes, who are in the relegation play-off place and on Sunday sacked coach Jocelyn Gourvennec.

Canadian striker Jonathan David continued his superb form in front of goal by scoring for Lille in their draw away to fellow Champions League contenders Brest.

David gave Lille the lead midway through the second half in Brittany with his 22nd goal of the season in all competitions, and his 15th since the turn of the calendar year.

The 24-year-old has netted 10 times in his team’s last nine Ligue 1 outings. His total of 15 in Ligue 1 this season is bettered only by Mbappe.

However, that goal was not enough to win the game, as Uruguayan striker Martin Satriano poked in a late equaliser for Brest, who remain second.

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PSG boss opens up about Kylian Mbappe’s potential move to Real Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Luis Enrique has opened up about their star striker Kylian Mbappe potentially leaving the club and joining Real Madrid.

Reportedly, Mbappe told PSG officials on Thursday that he intends to leave the club following his contract expiration at the end of the season.

However, Enrique confirmed that he cannot provide any information to the media regarding the move at the moment.

“I have no information to give you,” Enrique said.

“Until the two parties involved speak publicly, I will not say anything.

“When the parties speak, I will give you my opinion.”

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Mbappe, who arrived in Paris from Monaco in 2017, had extended his contract in 2022 until 2024 but last summer declined to activate a clause allowing him to stay another year at PSG.

Mbappe has been widely tipped to move to Real Madrid and, according to a source close to the matter, has already entered negotiations with the Spanish giants.

Kylian Mbappe will leave PSG on a free transfer but the blow to the club will be softened by an agreement they reached last summer which will see the player waive bonuses amounting to around 60 to 70 million euros ($65.6 million to $76.6 million).

After seven seasons at PSG, Kylian Mbappe, the club’s all-time top scorer, looks set to seal a move to Real Madrid, the club that the player has dreamt of since he was a child.

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Mbappe hat-trick propels PSG to the top of Ligue 1

Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) won 3-0 away at high-flying Reims on Saturday to move to the top of the Ligue 1 table, although coach Luis Enrique was still not satisfied with the France captain’s performance.

Mbappe opened the scoring in the third minute in Champagne country and then netted twice more in the second half to give PSG a win which moved the reigning champions to the summit a point above Nice, who drew at Montpellier on Friday.

PSG were also grateful to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma who denied Reims a route back into the game with a string of superb saves, as Luis Enrique’s team recovered from their midweek Champions League loss away to AC Milan.

Mbappe is Ligue 1’s leading scorer with 13 goals in 11 appearances this season, with the France captain also having netted twice in European competition.

Yet his coach was not entirely delighted with his superstar’s display.

“We know Kylian Mbappe’s worth, but he can do better. I want even more from him,” the Spaniard said.

“He is one of the world’s best players, but he still has a lot of room to get better. I don’t want him to rest on his laurels.”

Mbappe had earlier indicated that he was not completely pleased with his own game as he spoke to broadcaster Amazon Prime.

“In all modesty I don’t need to be playing well to score goals, but I want to do both, score goals and play well. That is my objective, to always help the team as well as I can,” Mbappe said.

Asked about bouncing back from the setback in Milan, Mbappe added: “It is a different competition and all we wanted to do was win. Nice drew and we wanted to take top spot. It’s job done and we are happy with that.

“We will have time to think about the Champions League but Ligue 1 is a different competition and that means a different mindset and a different way of playing.”

That 2-1 defeat in Milan on Tuesday left PSG’s hopes of reaching the Champions League knockout phase in the balance with two group games still to go, but they do finally appear to have found their rhythm domestically after a stuttering start to the campaign.

Luis Enrique’s team were targeting a fifth straight victory in Ligue 1 and they went ahead almost from the off as Mbappe met Ousmane Dembele’s cross from the right with a superb side-foot volley low across the goalkeeper and into the bottom corner of the net.

Reims were denied an equaliser as a fine goal by Japanese international Junya Ito was disallowed for offside, and the same player was later denied by Donnarumma who also produced a superb reaction save from Amir Richardson before the interval.

A PSG side missing the suspended Achraf Hakimi and Randal Kolo Muani were again grateful to Donnarumma when the Italian repelled a Marshall Munetsi header on 56 minutes, and three minutes later they went 2-0 up.

Mbappe evaded his marker with a brilliant darting run to the back post where he converted a perfect assist rolled across the face of goal by Carlos Soler.

Donnarumma was at it again as he once more denied Zimbabwe midfielder Munetsi, before Mbappe finished off a cutback from substitute Bradley Barcola to make it 3-0 with eight minutes left.

Nice are still unbeaten this season after their stalemate on Friday in Montpellier, and they have still not been behind in a single game this season.

Reims remain in fourth place, while third-placed Monaco missed the chance to leapfrog Nice in the table as they drew 0-0 away to Le Havre in Saturday’s late match.

Monaco were fortunate to escape with a point, however, as Le Havre’s Samuel Grandsir had a penalty saved in the 10th minute of added time at the end of the game.

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PSG outclass AC Milan to get back on track in Champions League

Kylian Mbappe, Randal Kolo Muani and Lee Kang-in were all on target as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) got back to winning ways in the Champions League with an impressive 3-0 home victory against AC Milan on Wednesday.

PSG were eager to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat away to Newcastle United three weeks ago and they ultimately had too much attacking quality for their Italian visitors at the Parc des Princes.

Mbappe opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark with his 10th club goal this season, and his France teammate Kolo Muani added another shortly after half-time.

Lee then came off the bench to net the third late on, the South Korean star’s first for the club.

PSG thoroughly deserved their win, with the Ligue 1 side a different proposition from the disjointed team that was overloaded with forwards and overrun in midfield against Newcastle.

“We are very proud of our performance,” Kolo Muani told broadcaster Canal Plus.

“Winning these games gives everyone confidence and we need to carry on this way.”

Having started their European campaign with a 2-0 home win against Borussia Dortmund, PSG top Group F with six points ahead of a trip to Milan next.

The seven-time European champions are bottom of the section with two points and a big concern for Stefano Pioli’s side will be that they have yet to score in the group.

“Obviously we are not in a good position,” Pioli admitted.

“I was hoping Newcastle wouldn’t beat Dortmund because that would help us but we can’t just hope for other results to go our way.”

This game saw French international brothers Lucas Hernandez, the PSG defender, and Theo, the Milan captain, come up against each other.

It also saw PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his Milan counterpart Mike Maignan face the clubs with whom they started their careers.

But the stars of the show were elsewhere, with Mbappe –- who was hugged by a pitch invader in the first half — looking arguably sharper than he has done at any point up to now this season for PSG.

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery was exceptional in PSG’s midfield and his performance will not have gone unnoticed by France coach Didier Deschamps, who was watching from the stands.

“I am very pleased to be the man of the match, but it is a team effort first and foremost,” Zaire-Emery told Canal Plus.

“He does everything well, defensively and in attack. He is aggressive, good technically, has good vision, can score and set up goals,” said coach Luis Enrique.

“He is the perfect example for all young kids who want to be footballers and want to get to the highest level.”

Zaire-Emery made the opening goal in the 32nd minute when he collected possession in midfield, burst away from Tijjani Reijnders and found Mbappe, who advanced into the box before beating Maignan with an early, low shot into the corner.

That was a blow to Milan, who had started well and upset the Paris defence with their high pressing.

It was not just Zaire-Emery who impressed in the home midfield, with Vitinha continuing his fine form this season in a position close to Mbappe on the left.

Meanwhile Manuel Ugarte is the man who holds it all together, but his physical approach denied PSG a second goal three minutes after half-time.

Ousmane Dembele thought he had scored his first goal for the Qatar-owned club since signing from Barcelona in the close season, as he ran through to plant a low shot beyond Maignan.

However, Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic disallowed the goal following a VAR review for a foul by Ugarte on Yunus Musah in the build-up.

PSG didn’t have to wait long to make it 2-0 though, as Kolo Muani turned the ball into an empty net in the 53rd minute after Maignan had pushed out a Dembele shot.

Milan tried unsuccessfully to find a way back into the game, while Maignan intervened more than once to stop Mbappe from scoring again, notably touching a shot onto the outside of the post.

But the home side made it three in the 89th minute as Zaire-Emery powered down the right and set up Lee to score with a first-time strike.

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Mbappe scores twice as ruthless PSG hammer Lyon

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-1 win away at Lyon on Sunday to leave their crisis-hit opponents bottom of Ligue 1.

Mbappe’s two goals in the first half sandwiched strikes by Achraf Hakimi and Marco Asensio as PSG produced a ruthless performance that augurs well for the rest of the season.

Corentin Tolisso pulled one back with a penalty for Lyon but the seven-time former French champions are enduring a miserable start to the campaign and are bottom with just one point from four games.

Laurent Blanc’s side prop up the division on goal difference behind last season’s runners-up Lens and Clermont.

PSG, meanwhile, are up to second, two points behind early league leaders Monaco, after a second straight win to follow draws in their opening two games.

“It is a great result. It is not easy to come and win here, regardless of what the opposition are going through,” said PSG captain Marquinhos.

“We are not yet playing exactly the way the coach wants us to but we are making great progress.

“He is very demanding, very hard with us. He has said there is still room for improvement.”

Luis Enrique’s team are building towards the start of their Champions League campaign which will see them come up against Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan and Newcastle United in the group stage.

They still have Randal Kolo Muani to come into the team after the France striker joined from Eintracht Frankfurt in a reported 90 million-euro ($97m) deal just before the transfer window closed on Friday.

This game came too soon for Kolo Muani to make his debut, but there was a first appearance for Bradley Barcola after he joined from Lyon on Thursday for a fee that could reach 50 million euros.

Barcola came off the bench late on to a chorus of jeers and whistles from the home support, but the game was well and truly over by then.

PSG went ahead in the fourth minute as Mbappe netted a penalty after Manuel Ugarte’s pressing led to him being brought down in the box by Tolisso.

Hakimi made it 2-0 in 20 minutes, following in to score after Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes had turned a low Ousmane Dembele cross out into his path.

The visitors needed Gianluigi Donnarumma to make fine saves from Rayan Cherki and Tolisso, while in between that Hakimi hit the bar at the end of a lighting PSG counterattack.

They scored again on 38 minutes in clinical fashion, Ugarte releasing Asensio for the former Real Madrid man to score his second goal in as many games.

Asensio turned provider as PSG made it 4-0 in first-half stoppage time, sending Mbappe through to beat Lopes for his second of the night and his fifth in three games since returning to the team following a contract dispute.

The final score could have been embarrassing for Lyon but Dembele hit the bar with a header early in the second half and the hosts then won a penalty in the 73rd minute.

A lengthy VAR check deciphered a trip by Warren Zaire-Emery on Nicolas Tagliafico, and Tolisso tucked in the resulting spot-kick.

Yet Lyon’s dreadful start to the season on the pitch comes amid turbulence off it under new American owner John Textor, who was not able to make the summer signings he desired because of the club’s financial situation.

The team’s results pile pressure on coach Blanc, the former PSG boss who took over less than a year ago.

A banner unfurled by fans during the game called on him to resign.

“The supporters are entitled to be disappointed, with the team and the coach,” he told broadcaster Amazon Prime.

“But in our situation I don’t think there is only one person who is responsible. Everyone is responsible.”

Lyon are bottom after Clermont claimed their first point of the season earlier on Sunday, equalising late on to draw 2-2 at Toulouse.

There were also wins on Sunday for Le Havre, Lille and Nice.

Monaco went clear at the summit with a 3-0 win over Lens on Saturday.

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Mbappe scores on PSG return in Toulouse draw

Kylian Mbappe won and converted a penalty on his Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) return on Saturday in a 1-1 draw at Toulouse after being reinstated to the first team following a contract dispute with the French champions.

The France captain started on the bench but came on in the 51st minute and promptly broke the deadlock, drawing a foul from Rasmus Nicolaisen and tucking away the resulting spot-kick just past the hour mark.

Zakaria Aboukhlal equalised with a penalty three minutes from time after he was tugged back by Morocco team-mate Achraf Hakimi, leaving Luis Enrique still searching for his first win as PSG coach.

“The result is a disappointment. The draw is mainly down to a lack of luck,” said the Spaniard, refusing to be drawn into a debate over Mbappe beginning the game as a substitute.

“I know you (the media) like these controversial questions but my staff and I are going to keep managing things how we see fit.”

Mbappe’s appearance was his first for PSG since a friendly on July 21 after not being invited to the pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea and then missing the opening 0-0 draw against Lorient.

He had been made to train with players the club are trying to offload after he refused to sign an extension to his PSG deal, but the 24-year-old was brought back into the fold last Sunday after holding “constructive and positive discussions” with the club.

The U-turn came just two days before Neymar was sold to Saudi side Al-Hilal for a fee believed to be close to 100 million euros ($109 million).

French media reported Mbappe made Neymar’s departure one of the necessary conditions for him to sign a new contract in 2022, when the former was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Mbappe was joined in the squad in Toulouse by new signing Ousmane Dembele, the two close friends named on the bench for the visit to the French Cup holders.

PSG created few clear-cut chances a week ago against Lorient and were again limited in the first half, Hakimi denied by the legs of Guillaume Restes and Goncalo Ramos thwarted by a sharp reflex stop.

Mikkel Desler curled an attempt narrowly over for Toulouse before teenager Warren Zaire-Emery’s fine strike was ruled out for offside just after the break.

Luis Enrique soon turned to Mbappe and Dembele, the latter wearing the number 10 shirt vacated by Neymar, and their impact on the game was almost immediate.

Mbappe’s foot was caught by the trailing leg of Nicolaisen, the PSG forward awarded a penalty after a VAR review and sweeping home the opening goal.

Dembele’s clipped ball through for Vitinha saw the Portuguese midfielder lift over the advancing Restes only for his effort to spin just wide of the post.

PSG’s inability to add a second goal proved costly when Hakimi was punished for needlessly impeding Aboukhlal as he chased the ball on the edge of the box.

Aboukhlal, who scored in last week’s 2-1 win at Nantes, beat Gianluigi Donnarumma from the spot to snatch a valuable point for the hosts.

“I’m very happy with the result and very proud of the team. For us it’s like a victory,” said Toulouse coach Carles Martinez Novell, who worked with Barcelona’s youth teams when Luis Enrique was in charge there.

Lyon slumped to a second straight defeat to start the season as captain Alexandre Lacazette was sent off in a 4-1 home loss to Montpellier earlier on Saturday.

Beaten by Strasbourg last weekend, Lyon fell behind to an Arnaud Nordin goal before Jordan international Mousa Al-Tamari struck in either half for Montpellier.

Lacazette pulled a goal back but then saw red for kicking out in frustration at Teji Savanier.

Nigerian Akor Adams, who scored twice on his Montpellier debut in a 2-2 draw with Le Havre, compounded Lyon’s misery with a late fourth goal.

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Neymar ‘in negotiations’ over Saudi move as Mbappe returns to PSG good books

Neymar was “in negotiations” on Sunday to become the latest football superstar to decamp for Saudi Arabia, leaving Paris Saint-Germain just as Kylian Mbappe was brought back in from the cold by the French champions.

A source close to PSG told AFP that 31-year-old Neymar “no longer figures in the club or manager’s plans” with the Brazilian immediately linked to Al-Hilal in the Gulf kingdom.

Another source in Saudi Arabia said that “direct negotiations” between Neymar’s agents and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) were ongoing.

“If we reach an agreement with him in the coming hours, we would start negotiating with PSG immediately. He would play for Al-Hilal if a deal is sealed,” said the source.

Neymar joined PSG for a record 220 million euros ($241m) from Barcelona in 2017. Some media reports on Sunday claimed that Al-Hilal would offer in the region $80 million for the Brazilian.

Last month Al-Hilal made a 300-million-euro bid for Kylian Mbappe, though the striker reportedly refused to meet with officials from the team.

Neymar underwent surgery on his right ankle in early March, only returning to join PSG on their pre-season tour of Asia.

His time at PSG has been blighted by a catalogue of injuries.

Although he helped the club to the 2020 Champions League final he has often been sidelined for key games.

If Neymar does end up moving to Saudi Arabia he will join a growing list of top players lured to the oil-rich kingdom since Cristiano Ronaldo moved to Al-Nassr in January.

Al-Hilal have traditionally been one of Saudi Arabia’s top clubs and have been crowned Asian Champions League winners on four occasions.

They are coached by Portugal’s Jorge Jesus, who is in his second spell at the club, while the squad currently boasts four international players recently lured from Europe — Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly and Neymar’s Brazilian compatriot Malcom.

Neymar’s anticipated departure from PSG would follow that of Lionel Messi who now plays for Inter Miami in the United States.

In a sign of the growing impact of the Saudis in world football, Roberto Mancini was reported Sunday to be the man lined up to become the manager of the country’s national team after his shock resignation from European champions Italy.

It has been a rocky build-up to the new Ligue 1 season for champions PSG with both Mbappe and Neymar left out of new coach Luis Enrique’s team for Saturday’s underwhelming opening goalless draw against Lorient.

After being sidelined for several weeks amid an ongoing contract dispute Kylian Mbappe watched from the Parc des Princes stands.

But the club’s prize asset is now back in the fold, for the time being at least, said PSG on Sunday.

“After very constructive and positive discussions between Paris Saint-Germain and Kylian Mbappe before the PSG-Lorient match, the player was reinstated in first team training this morning,” PSG said in a statement.

After a summer of flux at the Parc des Princes filled with new arrivals, doubts over Neymar’s future and Messi’s departure, it is the Kylian Mbappe stand-off that dominated the headlines.

The France captain has refused to sign an extension to his PSG deal, meaning he can leave for free next year, with Real Madrid long seen as his preferred destination.

Qatari-owned PSG want to sell him now and bring in a significant transfer fee for a player who cost 180 million euros from Monaco in 2017.

“The position is very clear. If Kylian wants to stay, he must sign a new contract. We can’t let the best player in the world today leave for free. It’s impossible,” PSG president Nasser al-Khelaifi said last month.

Kylian Mbappe had not been allowed to train with the first team and played only one of PSG’s five warm-up games and was not invited to the pre-season tour in Japan and South Korea.

He sat alongside fellow 2018 World Cup winner Ousmane Dembele, who completed his transfer from Barcelona earlier Saturday, as Luis Enrique handed debuts to six players against Lorient.

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