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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) thrashed Maccabi Haifa 7-2 at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, 25 October on matchday five of the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League.
Lionel Messi opened the scoring for the hosts in the 19th minute of the game as he smashed one from the outside of his boot. The Parisians doubled their lead through Kylian Mbappe in the 32nd minute with the Frenchman curling one in beautifully to beat goalkeeper Josh Cohen. Three minutes later, Neymar joined the action and scored Les Parisiens' third following a brilliant pass from Messi. He received some help from the woodwork as his shot went in but PSG were not in need of any luck throughout the night.
Maccabi Haifa pulled one back in the 38th minute via an unusual source in right-back Abdoulaye Seck. However, Messi restored the Parisians' three-goal lead before the break as he scored once again following some great link-up play with Mbappe upfront. The Parisians went into the break with a massive 4-1 scoreline.
Maccabi Haifa scored once again following the restart through Seck. The 30-year-old headed one more past Donnarumma as the PSG defense failed to contain the Senegalese right-back.
However, that didn't stop the Parisian juggernaut as Mbappe scored PSG's fifth in the 64th minute to bag a brace for himself. He beautifully bent one in to end his night on a high. Minutes later, Neymar forced an own goal off defender Shon Goldberg for PSG's sixth of the night. The hosts wrapped up the game with Carlos Soler's goal as he smacked one in after receiving the ball from Messi.
On that note, here's a look at the five hits and flops from the game:
#5 Hit: Neymar (PSG)
Neymar was a menace going forward, scoring PSG's third goal of the night. He clinically put one in following some neat work by Lionel Messi down the line to set him up. He was brilliant as he anchored play for PSG.
Besides scoring, Neymar won five duels, created four chances, completed one dribble and was the most fouled player throughout the game (4). The Brazilian's link-up play upfront with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi was a treat to watch.
#4 Flop: Shon Goldberg (Maccabi Haifa)
Israeli defender Shon Golberg had a night to forget in Paris. The 27-year-old was always going to endure a tough outing against the likes of Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr. and Kylian Mbappe. But to make matters worse, he scored an own goal on the night.
Goldberg had the least number of touches (41) of any of the outfield players to play 90 minutes. He made no interceptions, only made a single tackle and attempted only the two ground duels. He was completely ineffective against PSG as his positioning and lack of awareness cost him on numerous occasions.
#3 Hit: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Kylian Mbappe was rampant against Maccabi Haifa and the Frenchman was out there to prove a point. He showed no mercy against the team from Israel by scoring and setting up two goals in the game. Both his goals were brilliantly taken, especially his second as the curl on it gave goalkeeper Cohen no chance.
Mbappe, with his quick feet, decision-making and dazzling skills, kept the visitors on their toes. He completed three dribbles, won five ground duels, created five chances and drew two fouls throughout his stay on the pitch.
#2 Flop: Dylan Batubinsika (Maccabi Haifa)
Another centre-back, Dylan Batubinsika, didn't have any better outing than his defensive partner Goldberg. The duo were completely bent out of shape against the Parisians. Both were completely taken aback by the dazzling pace of transitions and Batubinsika was bamboozled with the technical expertise of the Parisian forwards.
The communication gap between the centre-back duo was evidently visible. It created so much confusion at the back that the hosts had no difficulty exploiting spaces as their last ditch challenge posed no threats. Batubinsika made zero interceptions, made just one tackle, didn't block any shots, had just 42 touches of the ball and was dribbled past once in the game.
#1 Hit: Lionel Messi (PSG)
It was Lionel Messi's night in the glittering Parc des Princes. The Argentine superstar's prolific season continued and he was all over the visitors. La Pulga scored two goals and assisted twice throughout the game, the first of which was a thing of beauty. He shot one beautifully from the outside of his boot to beat goalkeeper Cohen and also set up Neymar and Soler to claim two assists in the game.
Messi had a total five shots in the game, two of which were on target. He created four chances, maintained an 81% passing accuracy, and completed one dribble throughout the game. The 35-year-old even hit the woodwork once. He desevedly grabbed the 'Man of the Match' award for his exemplary display. The seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been rampant this season, scoring 11 goals and giving 12 assists, and the Parisians will be hoping to see this continue throughout the season.
