PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa: 5 talking points as Parisians cruise past Haifa to seal last 16 spot in style | UEFA Champions League 2022-23
PSG made light work of Maccabi Haifa in a 7-2 shellacking at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday (October 25)) to seal their place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16.
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe struck braces, with Neymar and Carlos Soler also on target for the Parisians. Sean Goldberg scored an own goal. Abdoulaye Seck netted twice for the visitors in what was a lost cause.
Christophe Galtier's side came flying out of the blocks and raced to a 4-1 lead inside the opening stanza with Messi, Neymar and Mbappe all getting on target.
C'est terminรฉ au Parc des Princes, quel spectacle !
โ๏ธ C'est terminรฉ au Parc des Princes, quel spectacle !
Victoire et qualification pour les Parisiens !
#๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ณ-๐ฎ | #๐จ๐๐ https://t.co/m8juFMnzQF
Seck, who scored a header in the first half, headed another one just five minutes into the restart, before PSG fired back with three unanswered goals to register a historic win.
For the third time in their history, the Ligue 1 champions netted seven goals in a European game. On that note, here're the five major talking points from the game:
#5 Goalfest in Paris
PSG came into the game looking to confirm their place in the Round of 16. They did so in style by netting seven goals for the third time in a Champions League game.
The hosts cut through Haifa like a knife through butter, despite the Israeli outfit posting better results in recent weeks, including a 2-0 win over Juventus on matchday four.
7 - Paris equalled their record of goals scored in an European game, previously scoring 7 goals against Rosenborg in October 2000 in the Champions League (7-2), La Gantoise in the Intertoto Cup in August 2001 (7-1) and Celtic in November 2017 in the UCL (7-1). 7thHeaven. #PSGMAC https://t.co/MfDKCz6fh5
With the prolific front three of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe firing on all cylinders, the Greens stood no chance. However, the visitors ensured that it wasn't a one-way show by netting twice.
#4 Carlos Soler gets off the mark for PSG
PSG bolstered their midfield with the signing of Valencia talisman Carlos Soler in the summer. However, most of his seven appearances till last night were off the bench.
The Spaniard had struggled to break into Christophe Galtier's side, but that could change after his first goal in Parisian colours.
Carlos Soler having some fun in Paris.
https://t.co/H3gDISwX8e
Messi laid it off for Soler to slam home into the bottom corner for a confident finish, and the smile on the player's face showed how much the goal meant for him.
#3 Abdoulaye Seck unlikely goalscoring hero for Haifa
On a night that PSG made their own, Abdoulaye Seck emerged as the unlikely goalscoring hero for hapless Haifa, who pulled back twice through the defender.
Seck, a centre-back by trade, hit the Parisians twice from set-pieces with immaculate headers. That marked the first time a defender netted a brace against PSG across competitions in seven years.
is the first defender to score a brace against Paris in all competitions since Julian Palmieri with Bastia in January 2015. Improbable. #PSGMAC
2015 - Abdoulaye Seck ๐ธ๐ณ is the first defender to score a brace against Paris in all competitions since Julian Palmieri with Bastia in January 2015. Improbable. #PSGMAC https://t.co/Cvsxkks51z
For his first goal, the Senegalese broke the offside trap while looking to connect with Omer Atzili's free-kick as he comfortably headed beyond Gianluigi Donnarumma to make it 3-1.
Just five minutes into the second half, he came back at PSG with another header, this time off a corner from Atzili, which the Parisians failed to clear, and Seck had a free go.
Although his team was battered, the 30-year-old enjoyed a rare goalscoring outing, against the unlikeliest of all teams.
#2 Messi shaping up well for World Cup
Lionel Messi continued his prolific start to the season with another imperious outing, scoring and assisting twice to take Haifa apart.
He glided past his markers with ease and connected impeccably with his attacking cohorts, Mbappe and Neymar. The 35-year-old is now the oldest player in Champions League history to register a brace and two assists in the same game.
2 & 2 - Lionel Messi is the oldest player in UEFA Champions League history to both score twice and assist twice in a game (35 years, 123 days). Multifaceted. https://t.co/9ZHTTGx4IL
Both Messi goals on the night were top-notch - an outside-of-the-boot effort for his first before a fearsome long-range strike to bring up his brace.
Messi is now on 11 goals and 12 assists across competitions for the season and seems to be shaping up well for the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar next month.
#1 Messi, Neymar, Mbappe - the best attacking triumvirate in Europe?
PSG's attacking triumvirate of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe were on target last night, accruing five goals and four assists among themselves.
The communication between the trio was sublime as the troika linked up to devastating effect throughout the game to make mincemeat of Haifa.
& 2 assists 
MNM today in PSG's 7-2 thrashing of Maccabi โคต๏ธ
Messi - 2 goals โฝ & 2 assists ๐ ฐ๏ธ
Neymar - 1 goal โฝ
Mbappe - 2 goals โฝ & 2 assists ๐ ฐ๏ธ
#UCL #PSG #PSGMAC https://t.co/UwIMXeeq1S
With 40 goals between them this season, Galtier has managed to bring the best out of them this season.
There have been reports of a rift between the trio. However, even if those are true, none of that was evident on the pitch as MNM continued to fire at all cylinders.
The best attacking trio in Europe? You bet.