Paris Saint-Germain 4-0 Stade de Reims

THE MATCH

With Lionel Messi only fit enough for a place on the bench, Kylian Mbappé and Angel Di Maria occupied the wide attacking positions with Mauro Icardi leading the line. Mbappé has looked just as content on the wing as up front this term, though, and nearly opened the scoring with the first attack of the game, fizzing an effort narrowly wide of the top corner (1'). PSG bossed possession in the first half, with Ramos - making his first home start for the club - in particular enjoying a lot of the ball. Despite that, it was Reims who carved out the next real chance, Hugo Ekitike laying the ball off to Bradley Locko who could only sting Keylor Navas's gloves with his shot (28'). Mbappé then fired a chance straight into Predrag Rajkovic's legs at the other end (32') before Ekitike blazed high of the PSG goal (35'). Icardi was inches away from steering a Di Maria cross inside the far post soon after, but he failed to connect before the flag went up for offside anyway (38'). Paris would take a lead into the break, though, Verratti striking a fine half-volley in off the near post on the stroke of half-time (44').

PSG's class tells

Reims had a gilt-edged chance to get back onto level terms soon after the restart, with Navas parrying Nathanaël Mbuku shot into the path of Dion Lopy, who could only fire over the crossbar (56'). Paris punished that profligacy soon after. Danilo's header from a Di Maria corner was pushed back into the path of Ramos, and the former Real Madrid captain readily poked home his 105th career goal at club level, and first for his new employers (64'). Verratti then secured his first career brace, arriving late in the box to meet a short corner and sending a deflected shot beyond a helpless Rajkovic (67'). Messi entered the fray for the final half-hour, but it was Danilo who added gloss to the scoreline, thumping an effort into the top corner after a brilliant turn of pace from Mbappé out wide (76'). Icardi had a late goal ruled out for handball (87') and it ended 4-0.

THE PLAYER: Marco Verratti

In a galaxy of stars, it is all too easy to forget how PSG's play revolves around Verratti. The midfield metronome helped his side to more than 60 per cent of possession with a plus-90 per cent pass completion, and was rewarded with his first Ligue 1 Uber Eats goals since a 5-0 destruction of SC Bastia back in May 2017.

THE STAT: 5

PSG have now kept a clean sheet in their last five meetings with Reims. It was 450 minutes of football ago that the capital club last conceded to Sunday's opponents; Boulaye Dia scoring in injury in what was a a surprise 2-0 win for the Champagne outfit in September 2019.