PSG climb out of the Champions League relegation zone with big win over Red Bull Salzburg – and crown it off with stunning team goal
- PSG won its first Champions League match since September in Salzburg
- Desire Doue completed a team move five minutes from time to secure the 3-0 victory
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Paris Saint-Germain got their Champions League campaign back on track with a comfortable win over struggling Red Bull Salzburg.
Luis Enrique’s side had not won in Europe since the September prior to the match, having gone four games without a win, their longest winless streak in the competition in nine years.
However, the French team was eligible for qualification again with a great performance in Austria.
Goncalo Ramos fired the visitors ahead from close range after half an hour in what could be considered the easiest goal of his career so far.
Salzburg then kept them waiting for their second, but 18 minutes from time full-back Nuno Mendes fired the ball into the top right corner to give the visitors some breathing space.
But PSG saved the best for last as just twelve minutes later they produced a fluid team move that ultimately led to Desire Doue firing past Alexander Schlager to cap off a stunning performance.
Desire Doue completed a sublime team move to secure PSG’s 3-0 win over Red Bull Salzburg
Nuno Mendes (centre) also scored in PSG’s first Champions League win since September
The move started in the Parisiens’ own penalty area, as they moved from the back to forward with a series of one-touch passes.
The ball eventually found its way into the path of pacey full-back Achraf Hakimi, who played a lovely give-and-go before sliding the ball to Doue to score his first-ever Champions League goal.
The win lifted PSG to 24th in the rankings, the last qualifying position for the play-off stage.
The French champions have qualified for the round of 16 for 12 consecutive seasons, but could fall back into the relegation zone if Feyenoord claim victory over Sparta Prague on Wednesday by more than three goals.
PSG’s next Champions League match is against Manchester City at the Parc des Princes on January 22.
Enrique’s side then close the group stage with a visit to Stuttgart, who have taken just four points from their first five Champions League matches.
Meanwhile, Pep Lijnders’ Salzburg drop to 32nd place with just three points to their name.
The Austrian team has now conceded the most goals in the competition together with Slovan Bratislava, with eighteen goals in just six games.