Without his trio Mbappe – Cavani – Neymar, PSG played a very good game against Real Madrid to win 3-0 at home in the opening game in a group which both clubs can expect to progress but Real are in a downward spiral and it will hurt that they lost to a team who had Mbappe and Cavani out injured and Neymar banned for two matches.
Angel Di Maria shines
Angel Di Maria did not want to leave Real Madrid five years ago and so this revenge was five years in the making with the PSG winger scoring twice and tearing his former club apart. Di Maria stepped up in the absence of Paris Saint-Germain's first-choice attacking trio by delivering a double in a 3-0 Champions League victory over a lackluster Real Madrid.
Di Maria should have completed his hat-trick when the former Everton midfielder Gueye, impressively tenacious, again won the ball back with Marco Verratti pushing it into the path of the winger. Di Maria scored his 25th goal in his 100th appearance in European competition. What a night for him!
Formidable Gueye dictates the play
Gueye was everywhere for PSG, dominating the midfield in a way that offered Marco Verratti more creative license. The Senegal international showed great energy to maintain the high press and stifle Madrid, while also adding an assist for Di Maria's second goal.
The combative midfielder, who joined the French champions in the summer from Everton, made his first appearance for the Parisians in the European competition and delivered a fine performance.
Gueye featured from start to finish in the encounter, in his fourth appearance for the Parisians in all competitions this season
Real Madrid did not find solutions
Despite having Eden Hazard, Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale on the field together for the first time, Madrid lacked sharpness and were put to the sword by the Argentina international twice inside 33 minutes.
From the kick-off, it appeared Real had dampened that down but two goals (Bale then Benzema) have been disallowed by VAR. Real, European champions 13 times and three years in a row from 2016-18, failed to muster a shot on target and suffered their first defeat of the season. This loss left under-pressure Zinedine Zidane on the brink just six months after beginning his second spell at the Bernabeu helm.
In the other games of the night, Manchester City opened their Champions League campaign with a 3-0 victory at Shakhtar Donetsk, Tottenham threw away a two-goal lead against Olympiakos (2-2) and Atletico Madrid produced a typically spirited comeback from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Juventus.
Champions League 2019-20 group stage results and standings:
Group A
1. PSG 3 points2. Club Brugge 1 point3. Galatasaray 1 point4. Real Madrid 0
