MY ACCOUNT
Kylian Mbappe equalled the record for the fastest goal in Ligue 1 history as he struck just eight seconds as part of a hat-trick in Paris Saint-Germain’s emphatic 7-1 win over Lille on Sunday.
The 23-year-old superbly lifted over Leo Jardim almost immediately from kick-off, with Ligue 1 announcing it matched Michel Rio’s eight-second strike for Caen against Cannes in 1992.
That set the stage for an utterly dominant performance from the champions as Lionel Messi, Achraf Hakimi and Neymar all added goals before half-time.
Neymar and Jonathan Bamba exchanged goals shortly after the interval before Mbappe added two more in the final 24 minutes to cap a memorable display.
PSG started in some style as Mbappe latched onto Messi’s ball over the top and lobbed Jardim inside 10 seconds.
Mbappe hit the side netting after rounding Jardim midway through the first half, yet Messi doubled the visitors’ advantage with a cool finish from 12 yards after a clever one-two with Nuno Mendes.
Hakimi then added a third six minutes before half-time with a composed finish having been played in by Neymar, who got in on the act four minutes later with a clinical strike after Messi’s deflected pass fell kindly for him.
Neymar grabbed his second seven minutes into the second half following a wonderful dummy from Mbappe, before Bamba pulled one back for Lille with a close-range finish after Gianluigi Donnarumma had saved his initial effort.
Mbappe and Neymar combined again superbly to make it 6-1 as the former lashed home. They were at it once more three minutes from full-time when Mbappe ran onto Neymar’s pass to thump past a helpless Jardim and cap an emphatic victory.
What does it mean? PSG in unstoppable form
Lille had won just two of their previous 20 Ligue 1 games against PSG before Sunday’s clash and it was not hard to see why as the visitors blew them away in breathtaking fashion.
Christophe Galtier’s side have started the season in blistering fashion, scoring 17 goals in three Ligue 1 games, and it looks like they will defend their title with ease.
This win also saw them become the first team in Ligue 1 history to score at least three goals in six consecutive away games.
Mbappe and Neymar dispel rumours
Speculation abounds that Mbappe and Neymar have fallen out, but there was no sign of a rift between the pair here as they combined wonderfully for each other’s goals in the second half. Goodness knows what they are capable of if they start seeing eye to eye again.
Profligate Lille
Inexplicably Lille had more shots on target than PSG (10 to nine), yet some wasteful finishing from Jonathan David and Bamba meant they never got close to making a game of it against an opponent who has no such issues in front of goal.
Key Opta Facts
– Mbappe scored in the first minute of a match for the first time in his career (clubs & national team).
– Only Rennes in 1950-51 (18) have scored more after three matchdays than PSG’s 17 this season.
– Neymar was involved in five goals, a single-game tally bettered only once, by himself against Dijon in January 2018, since Opta began collecting this data in 2006-07.
– Lille conceded seven goals at home for the first time in their history in all competitions.
What’s next?
Lille are away to Ajaccio on Friday, while PSG play host to Monaco two days later.
