Neymar hat-trick helps PSG win 6-1

Paris St Germain got their Champions League campaign back on track with a 6-1 home rout of Serbian side Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday as Brazil forward Neymar lit up a lop-sided Group C clash with a hat-trick. Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani and France World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe added a goal each as the French champions ripped into 1991 European Cup winners Red Star, who were spared a heavier defeat by goalkeeper Milan Borjan.

The result left PSG on three points from two games after their opening 3-2 defeat by Liverpool, who visit Napoli in the group’s 1900 GMT kick off. Napoli were held to a surprise 0-0 draw at Red Star in their opening match. The outcome was also Red Star’s heaviest defeat in Europe, ending their 38-match unbeaten run in all competitions stretching back to last season.

Despite the obvious gulf in class, PSG coach Thomas Tuchel praised his team for keeping up a high tempo which barely allowed the visitors to get out of their own half and singled out the outstanding Neymar.

“We’ve improved our intensity in every game and you saw that tonight,” Tuchel said. “Neymar is one of the best players in Europe. We have several of the best in our team -- not just Neymar. We’ve won lots of games because we have the best players, but also because we were the best team. That’s very important.”

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GRIEZMANN GUIDES ATLETICO TO VICTORY

Diego Simeone hailed Antoine Griezmann as the best player in the world after the Frenchman’s double fired Atletico Madrid to victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday.

Griezmann scored twice and set up a third for Koke as Atletico won 3-1 in the stadium they hope to return to for the Champions League final next year.

Arnaut Groeneveld’s stunning long-range effort had pulled Brugge level shortly before halftime but Atleti, and Griezmann, were too good. “I said it last season and I’ll say it again — Griezmann is the best player in the world,” Simeone said afterwards. “He won the Europa League, World Cup, Super Cup and finished second in a league with Barcelona and Real Madrid.”

Lionel Messi, who was simultaneously tearing Tottenham apart at Wembley, may have something to say about that but there is no doubting Griezmann’s importance to Atletico. He has now been involved in 17 of their last 19 Champions League goals.

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