Paris St Germain tore apart Bayern Munich to win 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday as the French club’s expensively-assembled attack made another devastating statement of their potency.
Dani Alves, Edinson Cavani and Neymar found the net, with Kylian Mbappe also making his mark with two assists, to put PSG top of Group B with a maximum six points.
Bayern, who started with defender Mats Hummels and wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery on the bench, lacked pace up front and were overwhelmed at the back despite a good spell in the middle of the first half.
The German champions are level on three points with Celtic, who beat pointless Anderlecht 3-0 away.
PSG, unbeaten in their last nine Champions League games at home, played their preferred 4-3-3 formation with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, who cost the Qatar-backed club around 400 million euros (349.82 million pounds) between them, in support of Edinson Cavani.
The home side quickly got on top as Neymar danced past defenders on the left edge of the box before crossing low for his compatriot Alves to fire past Christian Fruechtl in the second minute.
Bayern, however, exploited PSG’s struggles in midfield to create chances, the best of them coming in the 19th minute when Alphonse Areola tipped a fierce Javi Martinez half volley over the bar.
PSG were more dangerous on the break and Mbappe’s speed proved devastating.
After Neymar wasted a clear chance, Mbappe broke into the area, turned and found Cavani, whose strike went into the top corner in the 31st minute for the Uruguayan’s 10th goal in as many games with PSG this season.
Neymar missed the target early in the second half but gobbled up his next chance.
Mbappe snaked his way through the Bayern defence in the 63rd minute and found Neymar, who tapped in to wrap it up.
Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti replaced James Rodriguez with Paris-born Kingsley Coman in the second half and the French forward brought life to the visitors’ left flank.
He came close to reducing the arrears in the closing stages but Areola, who was impeccable throughout, tipped his shot away to keep a clean sheet.
Mbappe, arguably the best player on the pitch, was given a standing ovation when he was replaced in the 78th minute by Argentina international Angel Di Maria, with the change acting as further evidence of PSG’s strength in depth. (Reuters)
