Account
Neymar Scores, PSG Beat Angers 4-0 in Ligue 1 Top-of-Table Clash
October 5, 2019
Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain won their second Ligue 1 match in a row on Saturday, beating second-placed Angers 4-0.
Pablo Sarabia opened the scoring early, and Mauro Icardi doubled the lead before the half-time break. Idrissa Gueye added to the total in the second half, and Neymar put the final score on the board late.
PSG have won seven of their nine league matches so far this season. Angers are tied for second place with Nantes, who will face Nice later on Saturday.
Angers may have started the match as the second-ranked team in Ligue 1, but they didn't put up much of a fight early against the defending champions. Leandro Paredes went close after just two minutes, firing wide from a promising position.
Les Parisiens pushed very high and nearly got Icardi in position to score after 10 minutes, but it was Sarabia who broke the deadlock shortly after, cutting inside after a pass from Ander Herrera before finishing well.
Per ESPN FC's Jonathan Johnson, it was his first competitive goal for the club:
Angers failed to make the most of a rare break with numbers after 20 minutes, dabbling on the ball and allowing Les Parisiens to clear. Baptiste Santamaria tried his luck from distance, but Keylor Navas took no risks, palming the ball away from danger.
Neymar was largely kept quiet in the first half but played a role in the second goal. After a smart dribble, he found Sarabia, who centered the ball into the box. Gueye missed it completely, but Icardi was there to convert.
Per Johnson, he got his first goal in front of the home fans:
PSG easily played out the half from that point, giving away no more chances.
Santamaria nearly gave PSG a third goal on a platter early in the second half, but Paredes couldn't take advantage of his error, firing his shot over the bar.
Sarabia nearly picked out Icardi, taking a little too long on the ball, before Gueye scored his first goal for Les Parisiens after some pinball action inside the box.
The former Everton midfielder has been a smash hit in France:
Gueye also took care of his defensive duties, making a sensational tackle to deny Rachid Alioui a clear path to goal.
The three-goal deficit took the remaining wind out of Angers' sails, and Les Parisiens were happy to sit back and give some of their depth players playing time. Chances became few, although there was time still for Neymar to make some headlines.
The Brazilian was booked for a handball while trying to control the ball inside the box, and in the final minutes of the contest, he bagged his fourth goal of the Ligue 1 season.
 Â
What's Next?
Ligue 1 action returns after the international break. Les Parisiens visit Nice on September 18, while Angers host Brest the next day.