It’s taken 89 minutes, but the referee Delerue gets his first yellow card out, booking Kurzawa for a bad challenge on Ikoko.
83'
T. Meunier has scored a goal for PSG!
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!! MEUNIER MAKES IT 9-0!!! Cavani gets challenged by Eboa Eboa just as he was about to shoot at Caillard, but the loose ball falls to the substitute Meunier, who finishes past Caillard with all the confidence of a seasoned striker! If PSG were looking for revenge after their Coupe de la Ligue elimination, they have certainly dished it out and then some!
82'
Guingamp almost get a chance to gain a consolation, but the flag is up as Thuram is caught offside just as he was about to round Buffon with the goal at his mercy.
80'
K. Mbappé has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by E. Cavani.
Cavani marks an improved second-half display with another assist, his ball gleefully received by the Ligue 1 top scorer to slot past Caillard.
GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!! MBAPPE ALSO GETS HIS HAT-TRICK!! Cavani latches on to a great pass by Neymar, and the forward whips in a low ball across the six-yard area towards the path of Mbappe, who is only too happy to finish past Caillard for his treble and PSG’s eighth of the game! 8-0 to the champions, who have romped to a dominating win at the Parc des Princes!
76'
T. Meunier enters the game and replaces Thiago Silva.
The skipper Silva makes way for Meunier in Tuchel's final change of the match.
75'
E. Cavani has scored a goal for PSG!
GOOOOAAAAALLLLL!!! CAVANI GETS HIS HAT-TRICK!! Despite Kurzawa looking to be offside after receiving Neymar’s pass down the left wing, the substitute is able to whip in a cross that causes havoc in the Guingamp box, and a loose ball falls toward the path of the Uruguay forward who is only happy to take advantage of the chaos in the penalty area! It’s now 7-0 to Tuchel’s men, and they are showing no signs of letting up!
73'
P. Djilobodji enters the game and replaces Y. N'Gbakoto.
N'Gbakoto comes off, and ex-Chelsea man Djilobodji comes on in his place to help shore things up at the back.
68'
Neymar has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by K. Mbappé.
Mbappe gets his first assist of the match after finding Neymar rushing towards the box, himself in acres of space in the midfield area!
GOOOOAAAALLLL!! NEYMAR BAGS HIS BRACE!! Mbappe returns the favour and plays in the onrushing Brazil forward, who skips past a Guingamp challenge and taps the ball past Caillard in no man’s land! Despite the best efforts of Rebocho, he’s unable to slide the trickling ball away from the goal line and PSG now lead 6-0 at the Parc des Princes!
67'
L. Kurzawa enters the game and replaces Juan Bernat.
Bernat, who has been great down the left side, comes off for Kurzawa in Tuchel's second change of the match.
Minute
Description
66'
E. Cavani has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by Á. Di María.
Di Maria showed great determination to run into the Guingamp box despite the bodies there, and his cross to assist Cavani was one to behold. Brilliant stuff from the Argentine!
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!! CAVANI DOUBLES HIS ACCOUNT!! Neymar plays in Di Maria for the short corner, and the Argentina international plays a one-two with Mbappe before bursting into the box and delivering a clipped ball towards the six-yard area, where Cavani leapt higher than the rest to head the ball past Caillard! 5-0 to Les Parisiens, and the final whistle can’t come soon enough for the visitors.
65'
Kerbrat with another brilliant interception, the skipper getting a foot in on Neymar’s cute throughball towards Mbappe and conceding a corner in the process.
59'
E. Cavani has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by Juan Bernat.
After a lung-bursting foray down his left side, Bernat does well to whip in a tantalising cross after being played in by a quick-thinking Neymar. To no one’s surprise, Cavani finishes the chance with aplomb.
GOOOAAAALLLL!!! CAVANI JOINS THE PARTY TO MAKE IT 4-0!! Neymar is able to play in the overlapping Bernat, and the Spanish left-back whips in a great ball across the Guingamp box to allow the Uruguay forward to simply tap the ball past Caillard and into the net for his 12th Ligue 1 goal in 13 matches!
57'
R. Rodelin enters the game and replaces Alexandre Mendy.
Mendy, who has been ineffective throughout, also comes off in place of Rodelin. The visitors are now shaping up in a more defensive 4-1-4-1 formation, which is understandable given the circumstances.
56'
L. Blas enters the game and replaces L. Deaux.
That effort was Deaux’s last contribution of the match, as he is being replaced by Blas for Gourvennec’s first substitution.
Deaux rifles in a piledriver of a shot from about 35-40 yards out, but the ball continues to rise high over Buffon’s bar. Guingamp are seeing more of the ball and PSG's half in these last few minutes.
55'
Ikoko plays in Deaux who delivers a tantalising cross in the area, but Buffon is able to rush out and punch the ball clear with Mendy also challenging in the air.
53'
Guingamp manage to win a corner off Marquinhos, but N'Gbakoto’s corner is easily headed away. PSG regain possession once again.
51'
Draxler attempts another effort - this time from outside the area - after more good work from Neymar, but the German international doesn’t look to have connected with the ball in the way he would’ve wanted to. Caillard is able to comfortably collect the chance.
46'
PSG get play restarted as the second half gets underway!
No changes to either side at the interval as the hosts look to maintain their dominance with more goals, while the visitors must focus on plugging their leaky backline against arguably European football’s most devastating front three.
45' +1
HALF-TIME: PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 3-0 GUINGAMP
45'
K. Mbappé has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by E. Cavani.
Cavani’s persistence was key, as he refused to leave Eboa Eboa alone despite the defender seemingly comfortable with the ball. Alas, he wasn’t able to shake off the forward, who was able to dispossess him before providing Mbappe with the assist.
GOOOOAAAALLLL!!! MBAPPE DOUBLES HIS ACCOUNT!! Dismal stuff from Eboa Eboa there, whose attempt at clearing the ball was blocked by a driven Cavani, and the Uruguay forward was able to quickly find Mbappe in acres of space in the box before the France forward places a slick finish past Caillard! 3-0 to the table-toppers, and Guingamp’s slim hopes of repeating their heroics from 10 days ago are surely extinguished!
One minute of added time is confirmed by the fourth official.
37'
K. Mbappé has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by Neymar.
Neymar does ever so well to burst in the Guingamp box and have the wherewithal to involve Mbappe, who was in alarming amounts of space before his cool finish to double PSG’s advantage.
GOOOAAAALLLL!!! MBAPPE MAKES IT 2-0 TO THE CHAMPIONS!! Neymar goes from goalscorer to provider after playing a series of lightning quick one-twos with Mbappe in the box, and the France wonderkid makes no mistake in slotting the ball past a hopeless Caillard to become Ligue 1's top scorer for the time being!
32'
Another venture into opposition territory results in Ikoko’s cross causing some confusion in the PSG box, but the defence are able to clear their lines after Marquinhos’ quick tackle on Mendy in the penalty area.
30'
Referee Delerue gives Alves a stern telling off after he takes down Mendy. N'Gbakoto’s free-kick fails to find anyone though as Buffon calmly watches the ball sail past him for a goal kick.
26'
Silva expertly takes down Thuram near the touchline after Guingamp make a rare foray in the PSG half.
23'
Neymar finds Bernat with another gorgeous lofted ball, and the Spanish left-back cuts it back to Mbappe in the opposition’s penalty area only for the France forward to quickly lose possession. Guingamp are at sixes and sevens at the Parc des Princes, as they continue to struggle with PSG’s dominant attack and ball retention.
20'
Deaux brings down Neymar in the Guingamp half and the hosts gain a free-kick. It’s a wild attempt from Alves though, who strikes the ball high over Caillard’s goal.
19'
J. Draxler enters the game and replaces M. Verratti.
It doesn’t look good for Verratti, who has been wearing a discomforted expression since being forced to come off the pitch. Draxler comes on in his place for Tuchel’s first change of the match - far earlier than he would've wanted.
16'
Mbappe charges forward once more and tries to cut it back to Neymar in the box only for the away defence to clear the ball. However, PSG again retain possession.
12'
And almost immediately, Mbappe bursts forward and nearly doubles PSG’s advantage, but his shot is blocked by the Guingamp defence. The hosts are already looking rampant at the Parc des Princes.
11'
Neymar has scored a goal for PSG! Assist by Dani Alves.
Alves does excellently to find Neymar in the box with a pass that the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Paul Scholes would be proud of, as the two Brazilians combined for a moment of brilliance that helped their side take the lead!
GOOOOAAALLL!! PSG GET THE EARLY LEAD!! Another wave of extended Parisien pressure results in Alves delivering a perfectly-timed ball over the top of the Guingamp defence towards Neymar, who chests it down with his first touch before evading Eboa Eboa with his second and finally tapping the ball in the back of the net! 1-0 to the hosts, who are surely aiming for more goals in this match!
9'
Mendy tries to play the ball back to Didot following Ikoko’s delivery, but Verratti is able to steal possession back for the hosts who then win a corner but are unable to make anything of the set-piece opportunity.
7'
Neymar tries to play in Cavani with a lofted ball, but a vital intervention by Kerbrat ensures that Caillard can safely gather the ball.
6'
PSG are already dominating possession early on, with Di Maria and Verratti attempting to pull strings from midfield. Revenge must surely be on the minds of Tuchel’s men given the loss that their opponents handed to them only a week-and-a-half ago - their first in domestic cup competition since April 2014.
4'
Marcus Thuram, son of legendary France defender Lilian, fouls Kehrer in decent free-kick territory for the hosts. Neymar attempts to curl one in from distance, but his effort sails over Caillard’s bar.
3'
Bernat latches onto a Di Maria throughball and nearly cuts it back to the unmarked Neymar, but his pass is intercepted just before the Brazil forward could deal some early damage.
1'
The hosts are decked out in their usual colours of dark blue with that distinctive red stripe down the middle, while the visitors are sporting an all-white number with a smidge of red-and-black.
Referee Amaury Delerue blows his whistle, and Guingamp get us underway at the Parc des Princes!
Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of this Ligue 1 match as Paris Saint-Germain host Guingamp at the Parc des Princes!
To no one’s surprise, Les Parisiens have cruised to the summit of Ligue 1, 10 points clear of second-placed Lille and with two games in hand. With little standing in their way of becoming league champions for an eighth time, Thomas Tuchel’s men will aim to continue and assert their domestic dominance over opposition who have vastly differing priorities heading into this fixture as a whopping 36 points currently separate the two sides.
SUBSTITUTES: Alphonse Areola, Layvin Kurzawa, Thomas Meunier, Julian Draxler, Christopher Nkunku, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Moussa Diaby.
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN XI (4-3-1-2): Gianluigi Buffon; Thilo Kehrer, Thiago Silva (c), Marquinhos, Juan Bernat; Dani Alves, Marco Verratti, Angel Di Maria; Neymar; Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani.
With 15 minutes to go before kick-off, let’s take a look at how both sides line up, starting with the hosts.
SUBSTITUTES: Karl-Johan Johnsson, Johan Larsson, Papy Djilobodji, Jeremy Sorbon, Ludovic Blas, Nolan Roux, Ronny Rodelin.
GUINGAMP XI (4-3-3): Marc-Aurele Caillard; Jordan Ikoko, Christophe Kerbrat (c), Felix Eboa Eboa, Pedro Rebocho; Lucas Deaux, Lebogang Phiri, Etienne Didot; Yeni N'Gbakoto, Alexandre Mendy, Marcus Thuram.
In stark contrast to their hosts, basement dwellers Guingamp are mired in a tight relegation battle, with only four points between themselves and the four teams currently above them in the table. They did grab a vital 2-1 win against derby rivals Rennes on Wednesday, but it wasn’t enough to lift them from rock-bottom. While a daunting task lies ahead for Jocelyn Gourvennec’s charges against one of Europe’s finest teams, they already possess a victory over their hosts this season, having knocked them out of the Coupe de la Ligue at the Parc des Princes only 10 days prior.
The players are out and kick-off is drawing near.
Aside from a brief spell after going 1-0 down where they looked to have regained some verve and confidence, Guingamp were rocked by two goals in the final eight minutes before half-time. Gourvennec’s men have been unable to replicate their showing at the same venue only 10 days ago, and their priority for the second half must surely be damage limitation - an unenviable task given Neymar and comapny’s form right now.
PSG have been rampant since the opening whistle, and the scoreline is an accurate reflection of their first-half dominance. The returning Neymar has been influential throughout, already bagging a goal and an assist, while Mbappe extends his lead at the top of the league scoring charts with a brace. However, Tuchel will be worried at the state of Verratti’s fitness given that his options at centre midfield are almost non-existent.
Next up for both sides is some midweek Coupe de France action, with PSG hosting Strasbourg on Wednesday while Guingamp travel to Nancy a day earlier. Both sides return to Ligue 1 duties next weekend, with PSG resuming hosting duties against Rennes on the Sunday while Guingamp host Reims a day prior.
And that wraps up our coverage. We hope you enjoyed our commentary, and until next time, goodbye!
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