RANIERI: MY FOXES SNUB TO RETURN
Defender Layvin hits hat-trick as PSG secure last-16 berth
PARIS St Germain qualified for the last 16 with a 5-0 home win against Anderlecht, with fullback Layvin Kurzawa scoring a hat-trick.
Neymar, back in the team after being sent off during the French ‘classic’ against Olympique de Marseille nine days ago, scored the second goal on the stroke of half-time after Marco Verratti’s opener, with Kurzawa completing the scoring after the interval.
PSG have 12 points from four games and lead Bayern Munich, who beat Celtic 2-1 away, by three points.
Celtic have three points and Anderlecht have none, both clubs being eliminated from Europe’s premium club competition.
PSG have scored 17 goals in the campaign and conceded none while Anderlecht have yet to net one.
Providing they each win their next game, PSG and Bayern will battle it out for top spot in the final round of matches in December.
“It’s always a pleasure to score,” said Verratti after his second goal in 40 Champions League appearances.
“After scoring the first goal we played more freely and managed to secure a nice team victory. Everybody contributed, with notably the strikers helping with the defensive tasks.
“We also managed to play fast, which is always important against teams who come here to sit back and wait.”
“I scored thanks to my team-mates’ work. I needed that confidence boost,” said Kurzawa. “Now I need to continue to work and further improve.”
PSG dominated from the outset but Kylian Mbappe’s early strike from inside the box was blocked by Frank Boeckx.
The France forward, however, found Verratti in the area on the half-hour for the Italy midfielder to fire the ball into the far corner.
It was a deserved lead for PSG, who doubled their tally four minutes into stoppage time in the first-half when Neymar’s strike went past Boeckx.
Neymar’s free kick bounced on to the post and into the path of Kurzawa, who poked home the ball seven minutes into the second-half.
The fullback made it 4-0 with a diving header in the 72nd and added his third six minutes later with a low shot after being set up by Angel Di Maria.
PSG next take on Celtic while Bayern travel to Anderlecht on November 22. CLAUDIO RANIERI turned down an approach to return to coach Leicester City after the sacking of his former assistant Craig Shakespeare.
The Italian (above) was fired in February, after winning the Premier League, and is now working for Ligue 1 side Nantes.
And, in an interview in Italy, the 66-year-old revealed he said, “No thanks”, when offered a return to the King Power Stadium earlier this month.
The Foxes have since appointed former Southampton boss Claude Puel.
Asked about this season’s Premier League title, Ranieri replied: “I think the title will go to Manchester – City and United will go head-to-head for the title.
“But there is also Tottenham to consider, while I don’t think Conte, at Chelsea, has any intention to give in.”
Ranieri has coached six of the teams competing in this season’s Champions League – Roma, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Napoli, Juventus and Monaco.
“The significance is that I have had a lot of jobs,” he added.