Spain, Nov 4 (IANS) Paris Saint-Germain produced a devastating attacking performance to hand Villarreal a 6-0 thrashing in the UEFA Champions League, with the defending champions scoring four goals inside the opening 17 minutes to leave the Spanish hosts completely overwhelmed.
The French giants exploited a series of defensive mistakes from Villarreal to establish an almost unassailable advantage before the match had properly settled. The scale of PSG’s early dominance was evident as several home supporters reportedly began leaving the stadium before the 20-minute mark.
Joao Neves initiated the onslaught by finding the net from close range after Villarreal failed to deal with a corner. The visitors needed little time to double their advantage, with Desire Doue capitalising on a disastrous attempt by goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to play the ball out from the back.
Villarreal’s defensive problems showed no signs of easing as PSG struck again just a minute later. Senny Mayulu won possession during another attempted build-up from the hosts and made no mistake with his finish past Gulacsi.
Fabian Ruiz completed the remarkable opening spell, getting on the end of a PSG attacking move inside the penalty area before drilling the ball into the near post to make it 4-0. The Spanish midfielder continued his impressive contribution after the interval, producing a neat piece of skill to get past his marker before slotting home his second goal of the night.
With Villarreal struggling to find any response, 17-year-old David Boly put the finishing touches on the demolition. The youngster made an impressive run down the flank and sent the ball towards goal, with his effort taking a deflection off a Villarreal defender before crossing the line.
The result once again highlighted PSG’s formidable attacking strength in Europe. Their forward line has now demonstrated its ability to dismantle some of the continent’s leading sides, having also scored four goals against Barcelona and Manchester City in Champions League action this season.
The emphatic win keeps PSG at the summit of the league-phase standings with a perfect 12 points. They will look to maintain their momentum when they welcome Roma on November 25. Villarreal, who have managed only one victory so far, will attempt to revive their campaign away against Slavia Prague on the same date.
–IANS
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