Tag: Paris Saint-Germain

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Ousmane Dembele scored twice each as Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) beat Bayern Munich 5-4 in an epic first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Tuesday, an extraordinary encounter that was the highest-scoring match ever at this stage of the competition.

The first half alone was crazy, with Harry Kane giving Bayern the lead from a penalty, only for Kvaratskhelia to equalise before Joao Neves headed the hosts in front at an enthralled Parc des Princes.

Michael Olise made it 2-2, but a Dembele penalty in first-half stoppage time had the reigning champions back ahead at the interval.

Kvaratskhelia, surely the standout player in this season’s Champions League, and Dembele both then scored again to have hosts PSG seemingly out of sight, only for Dayot Upamecano to pull one back before Luis Diaz made it 5-4.

An unforgettable game, perhaps better even than last season’s semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona, leaves the tie between the continent’s two best teams of the moment wonderfully poised for next Wednesday’s return at the Allianz Arena, with a place in the final in Budapest on May 30 on the line.

“I’m sure everyone who loves football really enjoyed watching that. It was a real pleasure to play in that game, the kind of game we dream of playing as kids,” PSG captain Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus.

His team will be returning to Munich, scene of their 5-0 win over Inter in last year’s final, with the advantage, but Bayern will be confident they can overturn the narrow deficit at home.

“We fought, and we clawed, and we’re back in the tie,” Kane told Amazon Prime. “I thought there was amazing defending even though there were nine goals.”

The French champions are seeking to become just the second side in the modern Champions League era to retain the trophy, while Bayern Munich are hoping to reach the final for the first time since 2020, when they defeated PSG to lift the trophy for the sixth time.

Vincent Kompany’s team arrived in Paris having scored 167 goals this season, led by the remarkable Kane and his 53 goals in 45 appearances.

This tie had a lot to live up to, after Bayern’s spectacular win over Real Madrid in the quarter-finals, but it was an instant classic as both teams showcased their devastating firepower.

Bayern Munich went ahead in the 17th minute as Willian Pacho chopped down Diaz, and Kane converted the resulting penalty for his 54th of the campaign.

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The visitors won 2-1 here in November in the league phase thanks to a Diaz double, and they were the better team early on this time.

But their front-foot approach made them vulnerable to the counter-attack, and PSG’s leveller came just after the midway point in the first half.

The brilliant Kvaratskhelia broke clear of Josip Stanisic down the left before cutting inside and firing into the far corner.

A classic Kvaratskhelia goal was followed by Neves heading in Dembele’s corner on 33 minutes.

The action was only just getting started, however, as French international Olise drove towards the PSG box before smashing in for 2-2.

PSG then won a penalty at the end of the first half when a Dembele cross struck the arm of Alphonso Davies, the Canadian making his first start in the Champions League this season after injury.

It was given by the Swiss referee after a VAR check, and Dembele beat Manuel Neuer to make it 3-2 at half-time, a lead which PSG added to after the restart, leaving Bayern stunned.

Achraf Hakimi’s assist was swept in by Kvaratskhelia for 4-2 on 56 minutes, the Georgian getting his seventh goal in seven games in the knockout phase.

Bayern were not able to reset before Dembele surprised Neuer with a shot in off the near post to make it 5-2 with his second of the night.

But Bayern were not done, as Upamecano headed in Joshua Kimmich’s free-kick to take Kompany’s side to 170 for their season tally.

Diaz, who was sent off in the November meeting, then dribbled past Marquinhos before slotting in for the night’s final goal, making it 5-4.

Kompany, watching from the stands due to suspension, would have been delighted with his team’s response, even if they were relieved to see Senny Mayulu’s late strike for PSG come back off Neuer’s crossbar.

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Holders Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) took a 2-0 lead over Liverpool in their Champions League quarter-final tie as Desire Doue and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored in Wednesday’s first leg in the French capital.

Doue’s shot in the 11th minute looped over goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and, thanks to a big touch off Ryan Gravenberch, Kvaratskhelia then rounded his compatriot to double PSG’s lead 65 minutes into a game they bossed from start to finish.

It only remains to be seen whether the reigning European champions, who had a second-half penalty in their favour overturned after a VAR review, might regret not scoring more goals against a Liverpool side that lined up with three centre-backs and were run ragged.

Liverpool’s game plan could not stop them slumping to a second emphatic loss in five days, even if the scoreline was not as bad as the 4-0 mauling inflicted by Manchester City in the FA Cup last weekend.

It is just one win in six in all competitions for Liverpool, and this was a 16th reverse in total in a difficult campaign.

Slot’s team must try to repeat what they did in the last 16, when they overturned a 1-0 first-leg loss away to Galatasaray by winning 4-0 in the return.

This will be a far tougher task, however, as the sides clash again next Tuesday on Merseyside, where PSG won 1-0 in the second leg of their last-16 tie last season before advancing on penalties.

That was a significant step on their way to winning the Champions League, coming after they somehow lost 1-0 at the Parc des Princes despite completely dominating.

A string of Alisson Becker saves helped Liverpool smash and grab their way to victory a year ago, but the Brazilian was absent here, meaning Mamardashvili started in goal.

Mohamed Salah was also left out of the line-up by Slot, instead taking a place on the bench alongside Alexander Isak with the Swede involved again after suffering a leg fracture in December.

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Hugo Ekitike started up front for Liverpool against the club where he spent 18 months earlier in his career and failed to escape the shadows of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar.

Joe Gomez slotted in alongside Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk as a third central defender, as Liverpool set out to press high but spent the night chasing the ball.

PSG were well in control before they scored, as Doue collected the ball just outside the box, advanced into the area and tried a shot which struck Gravenberch’s boot and took a looping trajectory which left the goalkeeper flummoxed.

Mamardashvili did later save from Kvaratskhelia and Doue, meaning there was just one goal in a one-sided first half in which PSG had 70 percent possession, and Liverpool’s only attempt came from Jeremie Frimpong when he was offside.

The pattern of the contest did not really change after the break, with Ousmane Dembele blazing over before the second goal arrived.

A superb Joao Neves pass released Kvaratskhelia through the inside-left channel, and the Georgian held off Gravenberch before rounding the goalkeeper to tuck in.

Liverpool were then rescued by the Spanish referee’s decision to change his mind after initially awarding a penalty when Konate brought down Warren Zaire-Emery, while also taking the ball.

Small mercies for Slot, who sent on Isak in a quadruple substitution on 78 minutes, but left Salah on the bench.

Dembele hit the post late on for PSG, although they are firmly in control after a ninth win in a game against Premier League opposition since the start of 2025.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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