Paris Saint-Germain defeated Nantes 4-0 in the Trophee des Champions to win their first trophy of the 2022–23 campaign.
The Christophe Galtier started out in a commanding manner thanks to goals from Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, and Neymar, and Les Parisiens gave Nantes little opportunity during the entire 90 minutes.
With the 2022/23 season officially begun, PSG’s players made headlines with a performance that was nearly flawless, with Messi and Ramos looking back to near their best after unsuccessful debut seasons in the French capital.
Both Messi and Ramos disappointed last season when Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 championship but lost to Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Champions League, leading to the dismissal of Mauricio Pochettino.
However, they demonstrated to the sold-out Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv and viewers at home that they are fired up for the upcoming campaign, just like Neymar, who made headlines with a brace in a genuinely spectacular display.
Messi gave PSG the lead after just 22 minutes, and Neymar made it 2-0 in the final seconds of the first half, leaving the French Cup winners from last season with a difficult assignment if they wanted to launch a comeback.
NEYMAR’S FREEKICK 🤤🤤🤤🤤 pic.twitter.com/HXoYuz7y9o
— Ziad is NOT in pain (@Ziad_EJ) July 31, 2022
After 57 minutes, Sergio Ramos added a beautiful backheel finish to make it 3-0, effectively ending Nantes’ slim hopes of mounting a comeback.
After 81 minutes, though, Neymar scored his second goal from the penalty spot to make it 4-0 and Jean-Charles Castelletto was dismissed, making it an even worse night at the office in Israel.
Particularly Ramos and Neymar stepped up the flair as Les Parisiens cruised to win. The Spanish defender scored with skill as he reacted to the goalkeeper’s excellent save by shifting his body before immediately backheeling the ball home for PSG’s third goal. The highly stylish finish is visible below.
But after scoring what appeared to be the game-winning goal, Neymar had to outdo his teammate. He did this from 12 yards away by coolly putting his penalty away.
The Brazilian approached the ball cautiously, walked into its path from a distance, added a tiny stutter, and then rolled the dead ball past the defenseless goalkeeper. Check out the crazily awesome punishment down below.
There is simply no chance when Neymar is in this attitude. He was preparing food.
With Galtier in charge next season, PSG hopes to get back to the top of the mountain. Although winning the French first division is hardly a bad season, their ongoing Champions League failure is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Galtier coaxing a tune out of Messi, Neymar, and Ramos is undoubtedly a hopeful sign, but the season is long and they’ll need significant quality to ultimately win the Champions League.
MESSI MESSI MESSI pic.twitter.com/C0JnMrP5kO
— Messimaniacas (@Messimaniacas_) July 31, 2022
