PSG make light of Mbappe, Neymar absence in Parc stroll
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar watched on from the stands as Paris
Saint-Germain prepared for their Champions League trip to Liverpool with
an emphatic 4-0 win over Saint-Etienne in Ligue 1 on Friday.
Julian Draxler, Edinson Cavani, Angel di Maria and youngster Moussa
Diaby all found the net at the Parc des Princes to allow PSG to make it
five wins from five games at the start of their defence of the French
title.
It was a fine win for PSG, who have already scored 17 goals in the
league this season, and Thomas Tuchel is the first coach to win his
first five league games in charge of the club.
"We've won five times and that shows we still have a hunger to continue winning," said Tuchel.
However, there is little doubt that PSG will face a far tougher
examination at Anfield in their opening Champions League group outing
than they did here against Saint-Etienne.
"I'm pleased also that we've played without having our heads turned by the game on Tuesday," added PSG's German coach.
"I've got ideas (as to his line-up) but I'm still reflecting on them.
I'll talk to the key players and I'll be watching Liverpool's game
against Tottenham tomorrow and decide on Monday."
Mbappe was absent as he began a three-match ban handed down following
his red card in the win at Nimes just before the international break,
and Neymar sat alongside him in the crowd, rested after playing for
Brazil in a friendly in the United States in midweek.
Being without the two most expensive players in the world was not a
problem for the reigning champions, with Tuchel able to give Draxler his
first start of the season while midfielder Marco Verratti appeared in a
Ligue 1 game for the first time since March.
There was also a debut for Spanish left-back Juan Bernat following his
recent move from Bayern Munich, and while the visitors started well
enough, PSG never looked back after taking the lead midway through the
first half.
Verratti's ball over the top found Draxler in the box, with the German
midfielder controlling the ball with his head and then nodding it over
Saint-Etienne goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier.
The Saint-Etienne players were wearing shirts carrying the name of
William Gomis, a former youth player at the club who was shot dead in
the south of France earlier this week.
PSG's second goal arrived just after half-time, with Cavani converting a
penalty, his third goal in as many games this season, after he had been
chopped down in the box by Loic Perrin.
With PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola, preferred to Gianluigi Buffon and
fresh from winning his first two senior caps for France, a virtual
spectator, the hosts went on to add two more goals late on.
Diaby, the 19-year-old who was sent on at the start of the second half
in place of Lassana Diarra, helped set up Di Maria to lash a shot into
the roof of the net for the third.
Then Diaby rounded off the scoring after Cavani's swipe at a Draxler cutback had turned into an assist for the teenager.
Earlier on Friday, Nice shook off the absence of Mario Balotelli as they came from behind to beat Rennes 2-1 on the Cote d'Azur.
A Malang Sarr own goal had allowed Rennes to take the lead, but Allan
Saint-Maximin equalised before Pierre Lees-Melou's 89th-minute winner
for Patrick Vieira's side.
Lyon warm up for their Champions League trip to Manchester City next midweek by going to Caen on Saturday evening.
France's other Champions League contenders are Monaco, who face in-form
Toulouse away on Saturday night before hosting Atletico Madrid on
Tuesday.
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