Sports

Neymar returns as PSG thrash Monaco in China

Published

6 years ago

August 4, 2018

Brazilian superstar Neymar made his first club appearance since February as Paris Saint- Germain thrashed Monaco 4 -0 in the Champions Trophy in China on Saturday .
Angel Di Maria ’ s double fired PSG to their first silverware under new coach Thomas Tuchel as Neymar , long sidelined by a metatarsal fracture, came on as a late substitute.

Di Maria ’ s thunderous free -kick opened the scoring on 33 minutes and he grabbed PSG ’ s fourth in injury time following strikes from Christopher Nkunku and Tim Weah .

It was a comprehensive win for the reigning French champions in the season ’ s curtain -raiser , even without Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani who are yet to return after the World Cup .

PSG , with their names in Chinese characters on the back of their shirts , were the aggressors and they took the lead via Di Maria ’ s sumptuous free kick on 33 minutes .

The Argentina forward swept over the wall and into the top right corner from 25 metres , evading Diego Benaglio ’ s despairing dive .

As Tuchel watched while sitting on an ice box in the technical area , Nkunku made it 2 – 0 on 40 minutes with a close -range finish from Stanley Nsoki ’ s inviting cross .

Weah went close and Di Maria then left Benaglio nursing sore fingers with a powerful drive near the break as the French champions went into half- time firmly in control .

Weah put the win beyond doubt in the 67 th minute when he stroked home Nsoki ’ s lay – back before Nkunku rattled the crossbar from close range shortly afterward .

There were loud cheers from the 41 , 000 -strong Shenzhen crowd when Neymar was introduced on 76 minutes but the world ’ s most expensive player , last seen in Brazil ’ s World Cup quarter – final loss to Belgium , couldn’ t add to the scoresheet.

Di Maria , deservedly, had the last word when Adrien Rabiot ’ s long run set him up for an easy finish which he slotted past the beleaguered Benaglio in the third added minute.

AFP