A first-half brace from Kylian Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain defeat Juventus 2-1 to take the lead in Group H of the Champions League.
Mbappe has scored nine goals in just six games so far this season, and it took him just five minutes to open his account in Europe for the campaign.
The PSG star, who acknowledged having a rocky relationship with Neymar prior to the game, found his Brazilian teammate with a sharp pass infield before charging into the penalty area. Mbappe gladly accepted the invitation by launching a volley past Mattia Perin after Neymar returned the favour with a through ball that was scooped over the defence.
Achraf Hakimi assisted Mbappe on his second goal, which was scored midway through the first half and low to the left of the goal from inside the penalty area.
Early in the second half, as he raced down the right and veered toward the goal, the 23-year-old almost scored a hat-trick. But the ensuing shot only managed to hit the side netting.
Only a short while later, Juventus’ Weston McKennie brought them back into the game. The American, who came on for the guests at halftime, made a point by connecting with Filip Kostic’s swinging cross from the left to score a beautiful header.
At the conclusion of the first matchday, Benfica is in first place in Group H after starting the competition with a 2-0 victory over Maccabi Haifa. PSG comes in second, followed by Juventus.
