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Lionel Messi, Neymar and Sergio Ramos watched from the stands as Paris Saint-Germain claimed a hard-earned 4-2 victory over 10-man Strasbourg at the Parc des Princes on Saturday.
The game looked to be a routine victory for Paris Saint-Germain as they raced to a commanding 3-0 victory heading into halftime.
The opening goal came from Mauro Icardi, who connected with Abdou Diallo's whipped-in cross to drive home his header after just three minutes.
Kylian Mbappe doubled the hosts' lead in the 25th minute before setting up Julian Draxler for the third goal two minutes later.
Stasbourg upped the ante in the second half, scoring two goals of their own courtesy of headers from Kevin Gameiro and Ludovic Ajorque.
However, substitute Pablo Sarabia dashed any hopes of a comeback as he added to the scoreline to give Paris Saint-Germain a 4-2 win.
Paris Saint-Germain player ratings
Keylor Navas 5/10
Starting in goal ahead of newly signed Gianluigi Donnarumma, Keylor Navas had an unconvincing outing. He faced just two shots and was easily beaten on each occasion as Kevin Gameiro and Ludovic Ajorque converted their 53rd and 64th-minute headers respectively.
Achraf Hakimi 6.5/10
The newly signed Moroccan continued to dazzle down the right flank for Paris Saint-Germain. He was a constant threat to the Strasbourg defenders as he repeatedly glided through them before sending in crosses from the by-line.
Thilo Kehrer 6/10
The German defender failed to impose his presence in the air as he was easily beaten for both Strasbourg goals. Other than that, he was decent at the heart of the PSG defense, winning three interceptions and completing over 95% of his passes.
Presnel Kimpembe 6/10
Despite his towering physique, the Frenchman struggled against Strasbourg’s aerial bombardment. He finished the game with four clearances and one tackle, while also making a brave block to deny Strasbourg an early goal.
Abdou Diallo 7.5/10
The Senegalese defender turned in an impressive performance down the left flank. His perfectly weighted cross was met by Icatdi to open the scoring two minutes into the game. He constantly bombed the left flank to join the attack when needed, while also contributing defensively with two tackles and three interceptions.
Georginio Wijnaldum 6.5/10
The former Liverpool midfielder put in a decent shift on the left side of the Paris Saint-Germain midfield. He linked up well with Kylian Mbappe and rarely put a foot wrong all game. Wijnaldum completed all his attempted dribbles and long balls and won all but one of his ground duels.
Ander Herrera 6.5/10
The former Manchester United midfielder put in a solid performance at the center of the park. He kept the play ticking for Paris Saint-Germain with neat and accurate passes and did well in covering lots of ground. He completed over 90% of his passes and won two tackles and interceptions defensively.
Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe 6.5/10
Having impressed while on loan at Dijon last season, Paris Saint-Germain fans got a chance to witness the youngster dazzle. The 20-year-old did not disappoint as he proved to be a bright spark in midfield. His high work rate was evident as he constantly roamed to create something in attack, while also helping out at the other end of the pitch
Julian Draxler 7/10
With the goal at his mercy, Julian Drazler tucked home Paris Saint-Germain’s third goal to finish off a brilliant play from Mbappe. He created two chances before making way for Pablo Sarabia in the 70th minute.
Mauro Icardi 7/10
The Argentine got Paris Saint-Germain off to a flyer as he rattled the Strasbourg net with a thumping header just two minutes into the game. However, he failed to make a significant addition thereon.
Kylian Mbappe 8/10
Kylian Mbappe picked up where he left off last time out as he turned on the style against a resilient Strasbourg defense. He scored the second and created the final two goals for the game with beautiful pieces of play. The Paris Saint-Germain forward could have finished the game with a few more goals, but failed to beat an inspired Matz Sels in the Stasbourg goal in the second half.
Ratings for Paris Saint-German substitutes
Danilo Perreira 6/10
The Portuguese midfielder replaced Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe on the hour mark. He kept play ticking in midfield as he completed 96% of his passes, including all four attempted long balls.
Pablo Sarabia 7/10
The Spaniard came off the bench to score the fourth and final goal of the game with a brilliant 86th-minute strike.
Rafinha Alcantara N/A
The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder came on for Wijnaldum with two minutes remaining on the clock and made no telling contribution.
Arnaud Kalimuemdo NA
He replaced Mauro Icardi in the 88th minute and made no telling impact.
