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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Martyn Herman

PSG 7-2 Maccabi Haifa: Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar unplayable in Champions League rout

Paris Saint-Germain's Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both scored twice with Neymar also on target as the French club's fearsome attack tore apart Maccabi Haifa in a 7-2 win to send them into the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

The irrepressible trio were too much for Maccabi to handle although the Israeli side showed plenty of spirit in the Group H clash with Abdoulaye Seck scoring twice.

PSG's romp means with one game remaining against already-eliminated Juventus they top the standings on goal difference from Benfica with 11 points.

Despite their heavy defeat, Maccabi remain level on three points with Juve and will go into their last game at home against Benfica still hopeful of sealing a Europa League spot.

PSG took a while to find their attacking rhythm but once they did they were devastating. Messi got the ball rolling in the 19th minute with a sumptuous opening goal scored with the outside of his left foot after being played in by Mbappe on the left side of the area.

PSG’s dazzling front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar crushed Maccabi Haifa (AP)

Mbappe's opener was just as silky, the French forward bending a right-footer in the 32nd minute past Maccabi goalkeeper Joshua Cohen who could not be faulted for any of PSG's goals.

It began to turn ugly for Maccabi three minutes later when Mbappe and Messi combined to play in Neymar and the Brazilian's shot went in on off the post.

PSG switched off defensively to allow an unmarked Seck to head in from Omer Atzili's free-kick but Messi then swapped passes with Neymar before dropping his shoulder and belting a left-footed shot low into the corner to make it 4-1 at half-time.

Maccabi actually bossed the opening 10 minutes of the second half and when PSG made a hash of clearing a corner, Seck looped a header over Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the net.

The visiting fans celebrated joyously but PSG then moved through the gears to run riot.

In the 64th minute Mbappe was picked out by a diagonal pass from Achraf Hakimi and he took a deft touch before picking out the far corner. As Maccabi finally lost heart Neymar's dribble and low cross ended with Sean Goldberg netting an own goal.

Messi, who was denied a record-extending ninth Champions League hat-trick by the crossbar, then set up Carlos Soler to wrap up the scoring with a low shot.

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