PSG 4-0 Clermont Foot: 5 Talking points as goals from Herrera, Mbappe and Gueye keep PSG's 100% record intact | Ligue 1 2021-22
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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