The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
PSG SHOW CLASS
Champions League: Scotland’ s best shown size of task ahead as French billionaires canter to crushing win
■ Premiership champions Celtic had no answer to the power and poise of French billionaires Paris St Germain at Parkhead last night as they were swept to a record 5-0 defeat in the opening Champions League group match of the season.
Free-spending Paris Saint-Germain demonstrated their prowess with a 5-0 thumping of Celtic in their Champions League opener at Parkhead.
The world’s most expensive frontline costing more than £400million did the damage in the first-half as Brazilian Neymar opened the scoring in the 19th minute, 18-year-old French sensation Kylian Mbappe added a second in the 34th minute before Edinson Cavani scored with a penalty.
One man from among the home supporters revealed his frustration when he came on to the pitch to aim a fresh-air kick at Mbappe before being escorted away by stewards.
Brendan Rodgers’ side performed better after the break, but in the latter stages Parkhead defender Mikael Lustig put through his own goal before Cavani grabbed his second with a clever header to hand the home side their record home defeat in Europe.
It was always going to be a tough task for Celtic who had attacker Leigh Griffith back after recovering from a calf problem and 18-year-old Anthony Ralston tasked with taking on Neymar as regular full back Lustig was moved into central defence alongside Jozo Simunovic, who signed a new four-year deal on Monday.
The French side broke the world transfer record when they signed Brazilian superstar Neymar from Barcelona in the summer for £192million and Mbappe joined on a season-long loan from Monaco, with an option to make the deal permanent for £166million and they were both instrumental in a fine PSG performance which will have been noted across Europa.
Ralston was warned by Italian referee Daniel Orsato for his second foul on Neymar just before Cavani had the ball in the net from a Layvin Kurzawa cross only to be rightly ruled offside.
Celtic goalkeeper Craig Gordon made a decent save from Cavani’s longrange effort before the visitors went ahead.
The home supporters claimed for a foul on Hoops attacker Scott Sinclair by Dani Alves before PSG regained possession and Adrien Rabiot slipped Neymar in behind Ralston and he raced into the box and lifted it over the on-rushing Gordon with assurance.
Minutes later Griffiths came close to levelling with a 25-yard free kick that was tipped over the bar by Alphonse Areola, the goalkeeper taking the resultant corner with ease.
The slick-moving French side were in control, however, and their second goal came from a deep cross from the right by Thiago Motta which was headed down by Neymar and although Cavani missed his kick from eight yards, Mbappe was on hand to power the ball high into the net. Game over.
Five minutes from the interval Simunovic conceded a needless penalty and picked up a booking for a tug at Cavani as he attempted to reach a cross from Kurzawa and the Uruguayan picked himself up and slammed in the spot kick for number three.
Moments later, there was a hold-up as a supporter ran on and appeared to aim a kick at Mbappe before he was hustled off by stewards, an incident sure to land the Glasgow club in more trouble with Uefa.
Sinclair had a shot saved by Areloa before the first half ended but Celtic looked down and out.
Tom Rogic replaced Stuart Armstrong for the
“Clever header to hand the home side their record home defeat in Europe”
start of the second half and the Scottish champions tried to rally, backed by their supporters.
Ralston was booked for a foul on Motta and as the home side enjoyed a measure of possession Areola again denied Sinclair from close range after the Hoops forward had skipped past Marquinhos.
Julian Draxler came on for Rabiot and Celtic’s French attacker Odsonne Edouard replaced Griffiths but Neymar had three more attempts on goal, one over the bar, one saved by Gordon and
the next sent past the post before the Brazilian was booked for diving in the 76th minute.
There was more woe to come for the outclassed home side.
In the 83rd minute Draxler’s cut-back was inadvertently knocked into his own net by Lustig before Cavani headed in number five from a Kurzawa cross to compound a miserable night for Celtic. The size of the challenge ahead is now obvious. l Chelsea marked their Champions League return with a 6-0 Group C rout of Azerbaijan’s Qarabag, but sterner tests await.
Goals from Pedro, Davide Zappacosta, Cesar Azpilicueta, substitute Tiemoue Bakayoko and a Michy Batshuayi double ensured a comfortable return to Europe’s elite after last season’s first absence since 2003-04.
Chelsea next play Atletico Madrid with