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Football Briefs: Mbappe strikes as PSG beat 10-man Metz 5-1

September 09, 2017

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IMAGE: Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal with Edinson Cavani during their Ligue 1 match against FC Metz on Friday. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

Kylian Mbappe scored a superb goal on his debut for Paris St Germain and Edinson Cavani netted twice as the Ligue 1 leaders stretched their perfect start to five wins with a 5-1 rout of 10-man Metz in an entertaining clash on Friday.

Having moved to PSG from champions Monaco on Aug 31 in a loan deal with the option of making it permanent at the end of the season for a reported fee of 180 million euros ($217 million), the 18-year old prodigy made an instant impact.

 

Mbappe scored PSG's second with a ferocious low strike from the edge of the penalty area after the home side had left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto harshly sent off early in the second half for a challenge on the French teenage sensation.

Having switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation to accommodate Mbappe alongside Neymar and Julian Draxler behind lone striker Cavani, PSG's star-studded attack looked crowded more often than free-flowing in the opening 30 minutes.

Cavani showed his lethal touch in the 31st minute when he rounded Metz keeper Eiji Kawashima and fired PSG ahead with a clinical finish after he was put through by Neymar.

The home side equalised out of the blue with their first meaningful move in the 37th minute as Emmanuel Riviere headed home from three metres after a pinpoint cross from the right by Mathieu Dossevi.

Riviere missed a gilt-edged chance shortly after the break when he fired over an empty net and from there on it all quickly went downhill for Metz.

Assou-Ekotto was given his marching orders for cutting across Mbappe with a two-footed challenge after clearing the ball first and PSG's acquisition restored his side's lead shortly afterwards with a trademark piece of individual skill.

Brazilian Neymar made it 3-1 with a crisp shot from 20 metres before Cavani grabbed his second of the night and seventh of the campaign.

The result left PSG in the driving seat with a maximum 15 points from five games.

Keita, Werner goals help Leipzig to snap Hamburg's winning start

Second half goals from Naby Keita and Timo Werner helped RB Leipzig beat hosts Hamburg SV 2-0 on Friday and snap the northern club's two-game winning start to the Bundesliga season.

Victory lifted Leipzig, last season's Bundesliga runners-up, to six points and provisionally into third place, ahead of their opponents on goal difference.

Leipzig had a good chance in the first half but Jean-Kevin Augustin's effort bounced off the post as they took the initiative from the start.

Hamburg were then saved by the video assistant referee on the stroke of halftime when Werner was brought down in the box and the referee initially pointed to the penalty spot before changing his mind after asking for a video replay.

The hosts, looking to make it three wins in a row at the start of a season for the first time since the 1974/75 campaign, again survived early Leipzig pressure in the second half.

But keeper Christian Mathenia could do nothing when Keita, who will join Liverpool next season, thundered in an unstoppable shot past the keeper in the 67th minute.

Germany international Werner then showed why he is the most in-form striker at this moment, charging through and finishing his solo effort seconds after Hamburg missed a golden chance to level in the 75th.

Champions Bayern Munich will look to make it three wins in a row when they travel to Hoffenheim on Saturday. Leaders Borussia Dortmund face Freiburg. 

ATK sign former Real Betis defender Jordi Montel

IMAGE: A file image of Jordi Figueras Montel. Photograph: Twitter

Spanish defender Jordi Figueras Montel became ATK's sixth foreign recruit for the upcoming season of the Indian Super League, the two-time ISL champions, announced on Friday.

Jordi, who has played as a central defender for La Liga clubs like Celta, Real Betis and Real Valladolid, will strengthen the defence of ATK.

Besides playing in top tier Spanish league like Copa del Rey and Russian premier division league Premier Liga and Turkish Super Lig, Jordi also played for Club Brugge KV from the Belgian Pro League which featured in the UEFA Europa League.

"We welcome Jordi to our ATK family. Our coaching staff believes in his abilities as a central defender and feels he will be an ideal fit in our scheme of things for the upcoming season," ATK principal owner Sanjiv Goenka said in a statement.

Jordi said he was delighted to get a chance to experience Indian football through ATK.

"I am eagerly looking forward to getting to know my teammates, contribute to our game plan and earn many fans from India," he said.

Source: REUTERS
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