Weston McKennie pulled one back and the second half performance was a definite improvement, but Juventus never recovered from a Kylian Mbappé brace for PSG.
The Bianconeri went into the Parc des Princes with an injury crisis and lacking in confidence after some disappointing Serie A performances and results. Wojciech Szczesny, Angel Di Maria, Paul Pogba, Federico Chiesa and Kaio Jorge were injured, but Leandro Paredes returned to face the club he only left a week ago.
It took just six minutes to find the breakthrough, as Neymar dinked a ball over the top and Mbappé met it with a sensational right-foot volley that squirmed past Mattia Perin from eight yards.
Arkadiusz Milik thought he’d equalised with a towering header on Juan Cuadrado’s cross, but Italy international Gianluigi Donnarumma made an extraordinary reaction save from point-blank range.
Instead, PSG doubled their lead with another well-worked move, Marco Verratti laying it off for Mbappé, who completed a give-and-go with Achraf Hakimi inside the penalty area and finishing it first-time.
Neymar burst into the box and Perin had to rush out to smother at his feet, while Filip Kostic hit a chest and volley straight at Donnarumma.
Perin was right behind a scuffed Neymar attempt and Mbappé hit the side-netting when he should’ve passed to the Brazilian.
Weston McKennie came on at half-time and made an immediate impact by getting a goal back for Juventus. A corner was taken short, Kostic whipped in the cross and Donnarumma completely misjudged the situation, allowing McKennie a free header.
Hakimi just failed to reach a dangerous Mbappé ball across the face of goal, then Dusan Vlahovic almost equalised, his header forcing a one-handed Donnarumma save.
There was a wonderful one-touch move between Verratti, Neymar’s back-heel flick, the Messi through ball and Mbappé finish that flashed across the face of goal.
Messi’s left-foot curler flashed wide and Vlahovic couldn’t get a clean header under pressure on Kostic’s cross.
PSG struggled every time a cross came in, Manuel Locatelli seeing his first attempt charged down, then the second parried by Donnarumma as he pulled back from the by-line.
PSG 2-1 Juventus
Mbappé 6, 22 (P), McKennie 53 (J)
Nervous 1 half, well played 2 half.
3-5-2 worked well today, but can Chiesa and Di Maria fit in that???
Paredes, Bonucci, Kostic and Rabiot out best today IMO.
Vlahovic and Milik lools like a ok partnership.
lol how you can name Bonucci a best? he is finished, the error on Neymar last chance could have easily made it 3-1.. Bonucci was the worst player on the pitch
Kostic looks increasingly average. He is West Ham level.
What does 7/9 mean?