Clermont Foot 1-6 PSG: 5 Talking Points as Kylian Mbappe and Neymar score hat-tricks in thumping win | Ligue 2021-22
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) showed their class with a commanding 6-1 win against Clermont Foot away from home in Ligue 1. The Parisians have moved one step closer in their bid to win France's domestic title with only seven games left to play. The win against Clermont puts them at 71 points, a remarkable 15 points ahead of second-placed Rennes.
Mauricio Pochettino's men started off the game on the front foot, opening the scoring within the first ten minutes thanks to a sublime finish from Neymar. It didn't take long for the side to add to their tally for the night, with Kylian Mbappe sliding the ball beyond Clermont goalkeeper Arthur Desmas in the 19th minute.
Late in the first half, the hosts struck back with a defense-splitting pass which Jodel Dossou took into his stride to slot home. There may have been thoughts about a comeback against the league leaders, but the Parisians shut those thoughts down with a ruthless second-half display.
Seventy-one minutes in, Clermont star Akim Zedadka tried to stop Mbappe from driving into goal, cutting him down in the penalty box and conceding a penalty. Neymar, who took the penalty, placed the ball into the left side of the net, beating Desmas and adding to his tally.
Only three minutes later, Mbappe added to his tally with a stunning goal. The Frenchman pulled away from the goalkeeper skillfully, freeing himself enough to roll the ball into the empty net. However, neither Mbappe nor Neymar were done.
The Real Madrid target netted his hat-trick with only 10 minutes of normal time left to play. Mbappe curled a perfect finish into the top-right corner from the edge of the box, stunning the goalkeeper and adding to PSG's tally.
Five minutes later, Neymar also completed his hat-trick with a close-range finish. The Brazilian struck the ball home beyond Desmas, who had seen five prior goals get past him.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five talking points from the game.
#5 Could Kylian Mbappe be the best striker in the world?
Sure, it's hard to ignore Robert Lewandowski, who has picked up nine goals in his last nine games for Bayern Munich. It's also impossible to leave out Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, who has scored a stunning 13 goals in his last eight games. Players like Ciro Immobile and Mohamed Salah can't be ignored either, but all of these stars are in their prime. Kylian Mbappe is just 23 years old, not yet in his prime, and has scored 11 goals in his ten games for PSG.
He is one of the best attackers in world football, but his age, consistency, and sheer ability arguably puts him at the very top of the list. In 2022, only two games have gone by without Mbappe putting his name on the assist sheet or goalscoring chart, and it is hard to find better consistency. Against Clermont Foot today, he was ruthless and skillful in front of goal, and it's no surprise that Real Madrid want him at the Santiago Bernabeu.
#4 The PSG front-three have begun to connect
It has taken a long time to happen, but it looks like Lionel Messi has found the connection he needs to have with Neymar and Mbappe on the field. In their last game against Lorient, all three players contributed to score PSG's five goals. The same thing happened in the game against Clermont Foot: contributions from the front three have led to stunning goals.
One time might be a miracle, but twice in a row is enough to start drawing parallels. The three world-class attackers are linking up more often, with each of them picking out the other for goals and assists along the way. The most powerful front-three in the world - on paper - has started looking like a serious threat in Ligue 1. If they can keep it up, rumors about Messi's exit from the Parc des Princes may start to dissipate.
#3 Sergio Ramos plays a full 90 minutes for PSG
4 - Sergio Ramos will play his fourth game as a starter for Paris this season as the capital club play their 43rd game in all competitions. Anomaly. #CF63PSG https://t.co/Q8cZrxvHzp
Since joining the club in the summer transfer window, this is Sergio Ramos' fourth start for PSG. The Spaniard has struggled with injuries and fitness problems, and he is only just finding his footing in Paris. He played well for the Parisians and was notably the only defender to play the full 90 minutes.
With Thiago Silva turning out on a consistent basis for Chelsea, Ramos clearly has the capacity to perform similarly for the Parisians. At 36, he might be in the latter stages of his career, but if he can find fitness, he could become a key defender in Paris.
#2 A goal that should not have been conceded
Although PSG's attack flourished, their rearguard was a little shaky. Gianluigi Donnarumma made a small error, as he failed to hold onto the ball just outside the 18-yard box in the first half. However, he was able to keep things under control.
Clermont hit the visitors on the counterattack down the left flank, and Achraf Hakimi was nowhere to be seen. Sergio Ramos was left unable to do much about a defense-splitting pass deep into the box by Berthomier to a marauding Khaoul.
The star cut the ball inside to the far post beyond Donnarumma's grasp, where Jodel Dossou had arrived to put the ball in the empty post. Dossou's run was untracked by Nuno Mendes, and a little more effort from the defensive players would have certainly kept that goal out.
#1 Messi and Mbappe are magic together
While the Messi-Mbappe-Neymar trio are garnering accolades with their sublime performances, Messi's linkup with Mbappe is rather noteworthy. Both players might be ten years apart in age, but that hasn't stopped them from linking up well in recent weeks. Messi has clearly become the team's creative outlet, and with Mbappe scoring goals for fun, this is a magical match made in heaven.
Most assists provided in Ligue 1 so far this season:
◎ 13 - Kylian Mbappé
◉ 12 - Lionel Messi
A playmaker's brace in 19 minutes for Messi. ✌️ https://t.co/VTZqSJaqTh
So far in Ligue 1, Messi and Mbappe have combined for eight goals for PSG, and they can't seem to stop working together. Messi is the first player to make three assists in a single game in Ligue 1 since Opta began collecting data. Two of those assists were for Mbappe, including a low-chipped pass to break through Clermont's defense to guide Mbappe to his second goal of the game.