Kylian Mbappé scored two goals as Paris Saint-Germain secured a convincing 4-1 away win against Lyon on Sunday, pushing their struggling opponents to the bottom of the Ligue 1 table.
Mbappé’s two first-half goals were sandwiched between strikes from Achraf Hakimi and Marco Asensio as PSG displayed a ruthless performance signaling good things for the rest of the season.
Corentin Tolisso pulled one back for Lyon with a penalty in the second half, but the seven-time former French champions are enduring a miserable start to the campaign, currently sitting at the bottom with just one point from four matches.
Laurent Blanc’s team leads the table on goal difference ahead of last season’s runners-up, Lens, and Clermont.
Meanwhile, PSG has surprisingly climbed to second place, trailing league leaders Monaco by just two points after securing their second consecutive victory following two draws in the opening matches.
Luis Enrique’s side is gearing up for their Champions League campaign, where they will face Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan, and Newcastle United in the group stage.
Randal Kolo Muani joined the team after the French forward made a €90 million ($97 million) move from Eintracht Frankfurt just before the transfer market closed on Friday.
The match came too early for Kolo Muani to make his debut, but Bradley Barcola made his first appearance after joining from Lyon on Thursday for a potential fee of up to €50 million.
Barcola entered the field from the bench amidst jeers and boos from the home fans, but the match had truly ended by that point.
PSG took the lead in the 4th minute when Mbappé successfully converted a penalty after Manuel Ugarte was fouled by Tolisso inside the box.
Hakimi made it 2-0 in the 20th minute, scoring after Lyon goalkeeper Anthony Lopes failed to clear Ousmane Dembele’s low cross from the right into his path.
The visitors needed Gianluigi Donnarumma to make excellent saves against Rayan Cherki and Tolisso, while Hakimi hit the crossbar at the end of a swift PSG counter-attack.
They added another goal in the 38th minute, as Ugarte set up Asensio for his second goal in as many games.
Asensio turned provider as PSG extended their lead to 4-0 in injury time of the first half, with Mbappé netting his second of the night and his third in three appearances since returning to the team after a contract dispute.
The final scoreline may have flustered Lyon, but Dembele headed onto the crossbar at the start of the second half, and the hosts were awarded a penalty in the 73rd minute.
A lengthy VAR check deciphered Warren Zaire-Emery’s foul on Nicolas Tagliafico, and Tolisso converted the penalty.
However, Lyon’s poor start to the season unfolds amid turmoil under new American owner John Textor, who couldn’t secure the summer signings he desired due to the club’s financial situation.
The results are putting pressure on manager Blanc, the former PSG coach, who has been in charge for less than a year.
Lyon currently sits at the bottom of the table after Clermont earned their first point of the season on Sunday, securing a late 2-2 draw against Toulouse.
In addition, there were Sunday wins for Le Havre, Lille, and Nice.
Monaco, meanwhile, claimed a resounding 3-0 victory over Lens on Saturday at the top.
