PARIS: Neymar scored and set up three more goals as Paris Saint-Germain started their Ligue 1 title defence with an emphatic victory at Clermont.
The Brazilian opened the scoring as he collected a Lionel Messi cutback and fired into the bottom corner.
Achraf Hakimi finished off a devastating counter-attack, before Marquinhos and Messi converted crosses from Neymar.
Messi rounded off the scoring with a brilliant overhead kick.
After Neymar gave the 10-time French champions the lead after 10 minutes, Morocco right-back Hakimi latched on to a cross-field pass from Neymar before firing into the top right-hand corner from 10 yards.
Marquinhos then leaped highest to head home a Neymar free-kick from the left to give Christophe Galtier’s side a comfortable 3-0 half-time lead.
Messi stroked home a Neymar cutback from 12 yards with 10 minutes left, before finishing the scoring by controlling Leandro Paredes’ dinked pass with his chest before acrobatically sending the ball over Mory Diaw.
The match was Galtier’s first league game in charge since taking over from former Southampton and Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.
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