Neymar bags a brace as PSG pummels Angers
Neymar got off the mark for the season with a double as Paris Saint-Germain comprehensively defeated Angers 6-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday (AEST).
A suspension and a calf issue hindered Neymar's start to the campaign, but he was in fine form with a goal in either half as Thomas Tuchel's men ran riot at Parc des Princes.
Alessandro Florenzi opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a beautiful first goal for the club before the brace from PSG's Brazil star moved it out of sight early in the second half.
Ismael Traore got Angers on the board but strikes from Julian Draxler, Idrissa Gueye and Kylian Mbappe ensured there was no tense finale as the French champion recorded its fourth straight win.
After Mbappe saw a low effort saved well by Paul Bernardoni, Florenzi took the goalkeeper out of the equation with a sublime lobbed volley from the right side of the box.
Mbappe sent a cutback into Bernardoni's arms after rounding the goalkeeper but got it right at the next attempt, darting between Sada Thioub and Abdoulaye Bamba and teeing up Neymar to slam in off the underside of the crossbar.
Mbappe had a goal chalked off for offside against Mauro Icardi in the build-up before half-time but Neymar made it three in the 47th minute, slotting home Florenzi's deflected cross.
Angers pulled one back when captain Traore ghosted in behind Mitchel Bakker to head Pierrick Capelle's delivery beyond Keylor Navas, but hopes of a comeback were short lived.
PSG restored its three-goal cushion in the 57th minute when Bakker squared for Draxler and his shot found the back of the net via a deflection.
Substitute Gueye also benefited from a wicked deflection as his 25-yard shot spun past Bernardoni in the 71st minute.
PSG was in cruise control and Mbappe rounded off the scoring with a first-time finish from Pablo Sarabia's low cross, leaving Bernardoni rooted to the spot.
PSG's title defence started with back-to-back defeats to Lens and Marseille, but it appears to be back to its dominant best despite continuing to contend with suspensions and injuries.
It moved to within a point of pacesetter Rennes, which is not in action until Monday (AEST) against Reims, and Tuchel will expect his side to make top spot its own soon after the international break.
PSG travels to Nimes after the break, while Angers will entertain Metz.
