NICE —
Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a 3-0 victory at Nice Saturday to equal the record of victories from the start of a French top division season.
Neymar, who ended the game with a bloodied mouth, scored twice as PSG opened the season with eight straight wins, a feat that had only been achieved once, by Lille in 1936.
With 24 points, PSG, chasing a sixth French title in seven seasons, are sure to end the weekend at least eight points clear of its closest challengers.
PSG has lost this season, in the Champions League, and with Red Star Belgrade visiting Parc des Princes Wednesday, coach Thomas Tuchel left Marco Verratti and Edinson Cavani on the bench and also experimented again with a back three.
In Saturday’s late games, Lyon missed a penalty and could only draw at home to Nantes, 1-1.
Sturridge rescues Reds
A stunning 30-yard strike from Daniel Sturridge earned Liverpool a point at Chelsea in the Premier League Saturday, his 89th-minute effort canceling out Eden Hazard’s fine first-half finish.
Chelsea looked certain to inflict Liverpool’s first league defeat of the season until Sturridge, who had only just come on as a substitute, picked up the ball, moved it to one side and then fired an unstoppable shot past the outstretched hand of Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Liverpool is now level on points with Manchester City at the top, trailing on goal difference ahead of the two teams’ much anticipated clash at Anfield next weekend.
Chelsea, also unbeaten, is third, two points adrift on 17.
Dortmund goes top
New signing Paco Alcacer came off the bench to score two late goals and seal Borussia Dortmund’s stunning 4-2 win as it fought back from two goals down at Bayer Leverkusen Saturday to knock Bayern Munich from top spot in the Bundesliga.
Alcacer, on loan from Barcelona until June, came on 2-0 down, but tucked away goals on 85 and 94 minutes to cap the fight back after Dortmund had drawn level.
Dortmund left it late to top the table in dramatic style.
Hosts Leverkusen went ahead after just nine minutes when midfielder Mitchell Weiser hit the net with a spectacular shot from outside the area, then burly defender Jonathan Tah doubled the lead just before the break.
Danish midfielder Jacob Bruun Larsen, 20, drilled home the first on 64 minutes.
England junior international Jadon Sancho came off the bench and a minute later provided the final pass for Reus to smash home a second on 68 minutes.
Dortmund went ahead for the first time on 85 minutes when Alcacer lunged to guide a cross by defender Achraf Hakimi, on loan from Real Madrid, into the Leverkusen net.
Alcacer completed the Roy of the Rovers-style finish on 94 minutes, tapping into an empty net after Dortmund counter-attacked from its own box with Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky well out of his own penalty area.
Dortmund is the only unbeaten team in Germany’s top flight. — Agencies
Be the first to comment