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PSG thrashed Istanbul Basakehir 5-1 to advance to the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 on Wednesday. With the victory, the Parisians finished the group stage as Group H winners with 12 points, ahead of RB Leipzig and Manchester United.
Neymar opened the scoring for the hosts by curled one from outside the box after receiving a pass from Marco Verratti at the edge of the box. He doubled PSG's advantage thereafter as he slid one after collecting the ball from Kylian Mbappe. The Frenchman too opened his account for the night, as he slotted one in from the penalty spot on the brink of half-time.
The duo added two more in the second half, grabbing a goal each. Meanwhile, Mehmet Topal scored the only goal for his side.
Here are the five major talking points from the match.
#5 Neymar ran the show for PSG
The Brazilian was back to his usual best in PSG's final game of the group stage. Neymar ran riot for the hosts upfront as he scored a hat-trick. His dazzling feet were too hot to handle for the visitors. Out of the three, two of them were absolutely world-class, as he smashed them into the net from outside the box.
Neymar won 14 duels, completed five dribbles and was the most fouled player on the night. With his goals tonight, he became the only player to score 20 goals in the Champions League with two different clubs.
#4 Istanbul Basaksehir failed to capitalize on their bright start
The visitors looked like the better side at the start, as they created quite a few chances to take the lead. Istanbul Basaksehir were successful in identifying the gaps in their defensive line, but spurred all those opportunities.
They could have scored the opening goal and created some pressure on PSG, but poor finishing, coupled with excellent goalkeeping from Keylor Navas, denied them their chance to make an impact.
#3 PSG's transitions were deadly
PSG were deadly every time they were on a break. They moved the ball from defense to attack in a split second. They wasted no time in transitioning the ball from the back and allowed the visitors no time to regroup. PSG hit them regularly on counters.
With Marco Verratti and Leandro Paredes moving the ball around with real purpose, the hosts played some really exciting counter attacking football. Add to that the pace of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the visitors hardly stood a chance against them.
#2 Kylian Mbappe became the youngest player to score 20 goals in the UEFA Champions League
Kylian Mbappe's opening goal from the penalty spot saw him reach a big milestone. The Frenchman became the youngest player to score twenty goals in the UEFA Champions League. He surpassed Lionel Messi's long-standing record in the process.
Mbappe was in electric form for PSG tonight, as he scored two and assisted once in a 5-1 victory over the Turkish side. He formed a formidable duo with Neymar upfront and after Angel di Maria's introduction, there was no stopping them. Mbappe is the one for the present as well as the future.
#1 The game will always be remembered for something greater
The game was suspended on Tuesday as a coach was racially abused by a match official. In a sign of protest, the Istanbul Basaksehir players marched off the pitch after making their feelings known. Supporting their fellow professionals, PSG players also headed down the tunnel as they stood up for what they believed was wrong.
This game will always be remembered for the fact that racism has no place in football. As a mark of protest, PSG players even donned training kits that read, "No to racism."
