This was closer than it should have been. A comfortable first half for Paris Saint-Germain, in which they raced to a two-goal led, gave way to a nervy second. Yet, Christophe Galtier’s team managed to overcome an improved Juventus performance after the break to get their Champions League campaign off to a winning start.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give the French team a two-goal lead at half time, with both goals capping off slick attacking play and demonstrating just what an attractive side PSG are. However, Juventus benefitted from a change of shape and personnel, scoring early in the second half and giving PSG reason to worry about a possible equaliser.
That it never came was a relief for Galtier, who is the latest PSG manager to try his hand at taking the club towards the much-desired Champions League trophy. He set out his full collection of riches against Juventus and, at times, they almost toyed with their Italian visitors.
Story of the game
There had been much to admire from PSG before Mbappe opened the goalscoring on six minutes. The breakthrough came from very little, but it was executed so well. From a standstill Neymar lifted a nicely-weighted ball over the top for Mbappe. The PSG forward was too quick for Bremer, Leonardo Bonucci couldn’t come across to cover in time, and with a swish of the right boot the ball was thrashed into the goal.
It was ominous, and Mbappe was almost in again within a minute when he spun off the last defender. It was too easy for Galtier’s team, who have started the campaign with five wins and one draw in Ligue 1.
A second came midway through the half and featured excellent one-touch play. It was built down the right before a slick one-two was played in the Juventus area between Mbappe and Achraf Hakimi. Mbappe was through once more and this time his first-time finish was past Mattia Perin before the Juventus’ keeper could even react.
PSG were in complete control, keeping possession and playing slow-quick-slow football. Juventus were mere onlookers at the home team’s exhibition. Max Allegri’s side have drawn three of their opening five Serie A games and theirs was a first-half display that showcased a group of players searching for a plan.
The closest they came was just before Mbappe had doubled PSG’s advantage. Juan Cuadrado’s inch-perfect cross from the right wing was headed goalbound by Arkadiusz Milik at close range, but Gianluigi Donnarumma demonstrated his reflexes to repel the effort.
Allegri manoeuvred his troops from a three-man defence into a back-four at the interval in an attempt to get more players into midfield and around PSG’s influential playmaker, Marco Veratti. Despite the change, they could have been further behind when Leo Messi released Mbappe but he should have centred for the unmarked Neymar rather than searching for his hat-trick and only finding the side-netting.
A lifeline came Juventus’ way on 53 minutes when substitute Weston McKennie read the flight of Filip Kostic’s short corner to head home past Donnarumma. It came against the run of play, but quickly after Dusan Vlahovic had the goalkeeper scrambling to save his downward header. Suddenly, Allegri’s side had more than stemmed the tide, even reversing it.
Donnarumma was by now the busier ‘keeper, repelling Vlahovic again and then keeping Manuel Locatelli’s effort out. PSG were hanging on to an extent but also had late chances with Mbappe scuffing a shot across goal and then Neymar being denied at close range by Perin. Such misses didn’t prove costly, PSG had their win.
Player of the match: Kylian Mbappe
The PSG attacker scored a first-half double as the home side raced to a 2-0 lead and both goals were of the highest quality. Firstly, Mbappe connected superbly with Neymar's over-the-top flick and then he capped off a piece of quick one-touch play to send the ball past Perin. A hat-trick could have came had he connected better with a shot that he scuffed in the second half.