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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) maintained their perfect start to the new Ligue 1 season.
The Ligue 1 giants cruised to a comfortable 4-0 victory over Clermont Foot at the Parc des Princes on Sunday for their fifth win in as many games. PSG came into the game fresh off a 2-0 victory away to Stade Reims
Clermont Foot, meanwhile, were seeking to upset their hosts and continue their decent start to life in the top flight following their promotion last season.
The game sparked to life in the 20th minute when Ander Herrera headed home his second goal of the season after Arthur Desmas failed to clear a drilled-in cross from Achraf Hakimi.
The former Manchester United midfielder pounced on a poorly defended ball 11 minutes later to double his tally as PSG opened up a two-goal lead at the break.
The second half brought no changes to the flow of the game as the hosts continued to dominate proceedings. They were rewarded for their constant probing in the 55th minute when Kylian Mbappe breezed past Demass to score his fourth of the season.
Former Everton midfielder Idrissa Gueye completed the rout midway through the second half to cap off a brilliant team performance.
PSG lead the way in the 2021-22 Ligue 1 by five points over second-placed Anger, while Clermont are fourth with eight points from five games.
Next up for Mauricio Pochettinho’s men is a trip to the Jan Breydel Stadium for their Champions League Group A curtain-raiser against Belgian outfit Club Brugge on Wednesday.
On that note, here's a look at the PSG player ratings in the game.
Gianluigi Donnarumma 6/10
The newly-signed PSG shot-stopper made his much-awaited debut following his switch from Serie A giants AC Milan. He put in a solid performance, making a few comfortable saves to repel the efforts of the Clermont frontmen.
The Italian almost committed a blunder in the 79th minute when he failed to control a back pass. But he did well to recover and deny the onrushing Pierre-Yves Hamel.
Achraf Hakimi 7/10
Hakimi continues to enjoy life in the French top division, continuing his string of impressive performances for PSG. He constantly marauded the right wing, and looked to create something in attack.
He played a key role in PSG's opening goal as his drilled-in cross was tipped into the path of Herrera, who headed home. The Moroccan international was replaced by Thilo Kehrer with 18 minutes remaining.
Marquinhos 7.5/10
The PSG captain held his ground all game to deny Clermont a way back into the game. He was rock-like in his defending, particularly in aerial duels, where he won all his challenges. His passing was also top-notch, as he completed over 11 long balls and finished the game with a 91% passing accuracy.
Presnel Kimpembe 7/10
The towering centre-back was in inspired form for PSG, as he played his part in seeing out the clean sheet. He paired brilliantly with Marquinhos at the heart of the back four, making two clearances, three interceptions and winning one tackle. He was hooked off for 18-year-old Nathan Bitumazala in the 80th minute.
Abdou Diallo 7/10
Diallo put in an industrious performance on the left side of PSG’s four-man defence. He constantly bullied Clermont Foot's Jodel Dossou, keeping him at bay all game. The Senegal international also roamed forward to join up with the attack, sending threatening crosses.
Ander Herrera 8.5/10
The Manchester United midfielder put in a headline-grabbing performance. Herrera struck twice inside the first 30 minutes of the game to inspire his side to all three points.
He showed his high work rate, as he covered lots of ground, winning several key battles. Herrera ended the game with three tackles, two interceptions and two clearances, in a superb all-round performance.
Danilo Pereira 7/10
The 30-year-old Portuguese anchored the midfield brilliantly, and provided defensive cover high up the pitch for PSG. He did well in dictating the pace of the game, keeping play ticking at the centre of the park.
Rafinha Alcantara 7/10
Rafinha was a constant threat down the right for PSG, running at his marker at every opportunity. He completed all but one of his take-on attempts, and contributed defensively by winning several tackles and ground duels as well.
Idrissa Gana Gueye
The Senegalese international was the engine room for PSG as he ran tirelessly in his usual manner. He kept play ticking with neat, simple passes, and put the icing on the cake in the 65th minute, heading in his second goal of the season.
Julian Draxler 7.5/10
Julian Draxler was handed his third start of the season as he filled in for the absent Neymar. While Draxler lacked the flair of the Brazilian, he was able to get the job done, as he put in a solid display on the left flank.
He was impressive all round for PSG, with his return of an assist being no less than what he deserved for his performances on the night against Clermont.
Kylian Mbappe 6.5/10
In the absence of Neymar and the newly-signed Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe was tasked with spearheading PSG’s attack. While he was guilty of being wasteful, Mbappe added to the scoreline in the 55th minute with a composed finish to take his goal count to four for the season.
Player ratings for PSG substitutes
Eric Junior Dina Ebimbe 6/10
In what was his third appearance of the season, the 20-year-old replaced Idrissa Gana Gueye in the 72nd minute, and enjoyed a decent outing. He provided freshness to the tiring PSG midfield, and was very accurate with his passing too.
Mauro Icardi: 5/10
The Argentine forward made no telling impact, as he had just five touches after coming on in the dying minutes of the game.
Nathan Bitumazala: 5/10
With PSG's win already in the bag, the youngster was handed his first-team debut, coming on for the final ten minutes of the match.
Nuno Mendes N/A
The promising teenager came on in the 86th minute for his first appearance for PSG after recently joining from Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon.
Thilo Kehrer 5/10
The Frenchman replaced Achraf Hakimi in the 72nd minute, but failed to make any impactful contribution.
