Videos Live Scores Podcasts Opinion Interviews Business of Sport Inside Story Football Cricket Tennis Formula One Golf NBA UFC UAE Racquet Sports Fitness

Neymar makes PSG return in 4-0 Champions Trophy win over Monaco

Sport360 staff

20:00 04/08/2018

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 dead ball play 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.

In the 67th minute, Weah put the win beyond doubt when he stroked home Nsoki’s lay-back, before Nkunku rattled the crossbar from close range shortly afterwards.

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.

More from psg

Adrian Lee’s ONE Championship debut confirmed as he looks to further family legacy

NBA 3X ABU DHABI an unparalleled success with legends LaMarcus Aldridge and James Worthy in attendance

ONE Friday Fights 59: French-Algerian looks to maintain KO momentum in headliner

New ONE Championship king Alexis Nicolas ready to fight ‘the world’

French-Algerian Alexis Nicolas reflects on becoming ONE Championship world champ

Tickets on sale for Abu Dhabi World Judo Championships to be held at Mubadala Arena

Most Popular