PSG wins sans stars
Messi, Neymar out
Midfielder Ander Herrera scored twice and Kylian Mbappe added another as French league leader Paris Saint-Germain routed promoted Clermont 4-0 on Saturday to make it five straight wins.
Midfielder Idrissa Gueye came off the bench to add the fourth goal midway through the second half.
Clermont lost for the first time after a bright start to Ligue 1.
Italy’s European Championship star goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, made his debut for PSG, whose home fans must wait a while longer to see Lionel Messi at Parc des Princes.
The Argentina star scored a hat trick in World Cup qualifying on Thursday but was rested along with countrymen Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes and Brazil star Neymar.
Following international duty, they could return on Wednesday when PSG opens its Champions League campaign away to Bruges. Messi could make his home debut next Sunday against Lyon.
But Mbappe shook off a minor calf injury sustained on international duty with France and he finished confidently from Danilo Pereira’s pass in the 54th minute.
Herrera grabbed a rare brace with first-half goals and Gueye struck in the 64th.
In the late game, striker Bamba Dieng scored both goals as Marseille won at lowly Monaco 2-0 to move up to third place.
Dieng was difficult to contain for Monaco’s defense, hitting the post twice before his first goal in the 36th. He added his second in the 59th.
Marseille has 10 goals so far, with only PSG netting more with 16.
Monaco finished third last season but has won only once and sits in 14th place ahead of Sunday’s games.
“Four points from five games is not what we were expecting, but that’s the way things are,” Monaco coach Niko Kovac said.