PRINCES AND PAUPERS
Celts get roasted at billionaire’s playground
LIBERTE, egalite, fraternite, the national motto is stamped on all the big buildings in Paris.
It means liberty, equality and fraternity to those of us who failed the French O Level.
However, it seems either no one bothered to tell Paris Saint-german or perhaps the Qatari-backed powerhouses just couldn’t give a hoot.
There’s nothing free about PSG, they’ve got few equals, and if that was this lot being friendly then heaven help anyone they class an an enemy.
Celtic actually had the cheek to take the lead when Moussa Dembele struck inside the opening minute (right) to become the first side to notch against them in Europe this season.
But it just proved to poke the beast – and the much-predicted pounding was only delayed as PSG set a new group stage goals record with an eye-watering 24 in five games. Half of them have come against Celtic in two pummellings.
Constant scourge Neymar was at it again – that’s seven goals in six games against Celts – as was Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe, as PSG’S £400million attack laid waste amid hapless Hoops defending.
It’s not a fair fight when it come to facing the superclubs but yet again the Celtic defence went to bits against the best.
Even Hoops diehards feared a hosing – which made the start all the more stunning.
The punters in the away end were as stunned as everyone else when Celts struck in just 56 seconds.
Dani Alves inexplicably gifted a corner when he bizarrely hoofed the ball out of play. Celtic accepted the present – and sent it right back in a bow. It was a brilliant set-piece as Olivier Ntcham slipped the ball to Dembele and the big fella lashed it through Alphonse Areola’s gloves, with the aid of a slight deflection and into the top bin. Sacre bleu, right enough. It was nice while it lasted for Celts. The start was superb. They were brave on the ball, and, incredibly, holding their own.
Well, for another seven minutes, anyway. Scott Brown sold Ntcham short, Adrien Rabiot pounced and slipped through Neymar.
It was a typically clinical finish and it didn’t take him long to start getting cocky. The threat remained constant and PSG’S second didn’t take long.
There was little the Hoops could do as the French side sliced through them with a devastating burst of one-twos before you-know-who tucked it away.
Edinson Cavani pounced on Neymar’s knockdown from an Alves cross for the third and the good times of that opening minute began to feel like a lifetime ago as the Hoops started to unravel.
The defence was all over the camp as Mbappe was left to mop up the loose ball and slam in the fourth.
Rodgers could have been forgiven for parking the half-time team talk and trying to tunnel a way out instead.
His side did reappear for the second period though for some more torture.
Celtic were just hoping the match would soon be over. No such luck.
Marco Verratti drilled a fifth into the far corner with 15 minutes to go after some more slapstick stuff at the back and Cavani slammed in his second at the back post for number six.
Alves ripped in the seventh with a sweet strike from outside the box as the Celtic defence completely crumbled.
It could have been double figures. Edith Piaf might have had no regrets but Celtic were left with plenty.