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PSG resumed their Ligue 1 campaign after the international break with a routine 4-0 win over newly-promoted Clermont Foot. Ander Herrera bagged a first-half brace while Kylian Mbappe and Idrissa Gueye added a goal each in the second half.
PSG are now the only side in the French top-flight to keep a 100% record. Despite the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar in this game, Mauricio Pochettino's men cruised through to an easy win.
Mbappe was a constant threat throughout the game but it was Ander Herrera who broke the deadlock in the 20th minute. The Spaniard was in the right place to head home from Arthur Desmas' initial save from Mbappe's shot. Herrera was lucky again as the Frenchman's cutback was deflected into his path and he made no mistake in finding the back of the net.
Regardless of the scoreline, the game was by no means one-sided and Clermont recorded more shots than PSG by the time the final whistle was sounded.
When the game resumed after the break, PSG's attacking threat was again. Within 10 minutes of the restart, Mbappe scored his fourth goal of the season. 10 minutes later, the hosts registered their fourth goal of the game as Idrissa Gueye slotted the ball into an empty net from another Desmas save.
As PSG maintained their 100% record in the league, here we take a look at the five talking points from the game.
#5 A rare clean sheet for PSG
PSG are known for their attacking prowess but clean sheets have been a rarity in their league games in recent times. However, tonight's shutout was their second consecutive clean sheet and the first in front of their home crowd this season.
The match also marked the debut of new signing Gianluigi Donnarumma. Though the Italian wasn't called into action much, facing just two shots on target, he proved to be a solid replacement for Keylor Navas.
#4 Clermont Foot fought bravely but were let down by their finishing
Clermont Foot kicked off their Ligue 1 campaign on a good note and despite a loss here, they find themselves in fourth place in the league standings. The visitors earned promotion to the top-flight just this season and recorded wins in their opening two fixtures of the season against Bordeaux and Troyes.
The crushing defeat against PSG was their first loss of the season. But despite a 4-0 scoreline, the two sides were well-matched when it came to stats on paper. Clermont had 14 attempts compared to PSG's 13, but only two of them were on target. They had 48% possession as well and created some genuine openings.
But most of their good chances came from corners and PSG's immense quality eventually trumped the visitors' bright gameplay.
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#3 PSG continue their great start to the campaign with another high-scoring outing
PSG have kicked off the 2021-22 campaign on a great note and have been in excellent goalscoring form. They have been the top-scoring side across Europe's top five leagues this season, with 16 goals from five games.
They have enjoyed a prolific spell in the 2021-22 campaign and have scored four goals each in three of their league outings. Most importantly, PSG have obtained such positive results largely without Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Kylian Mbappe has scored four goals and is the leading goalscorer in the French top-flight. The figures definitely bode well ahead of their UEFA Champions League clash against Club Brugge on Wednesday (September 15).
#2 PSG's unbeaten home record against promoted sides continues
PSG have an impeccable recent record against newly-promoted sides in league fixtures. They haven't lost a home game to a newly promoted side in their last 29 outings, a run that stretches back to 2010. Of the 29 games, they have 16 victories 13 draws.
Interestingly, this match was Clermont Foot's first loss of the campaign. The newly promoted side have been in good form this season. With nine goals scored, they are only behind PSG (16) and Marseille (10) in the goalscoring charts in Ligue 1.
#1 Kylian Mbappe remains unaffected after a failed transfer move to Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe was one of the best players on the pitch against Clermont Foot and was the source of most of PSG's attacking chances. He could've scored a couple more goals but was denied by some great saves from Arthur Desmas and a couple of timely interceptions.
The rebounds from Mbappe's shots proved helpful, however, as Herrera and Gueye scored from the Frenchman's initial efforts. Mbappe also showed great acceleration to connect with Julian Draxler's pass and find the back of the net.
The Frenchman seems unfazed after being heavily linked with Real Madrid throughout the summer and failing to move there eventually. He will likely be an important player for the Parisians, at least until the January transfer window.
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