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PIX: Neymar strikes again as PSG go top; Bayern held

September 10, 2022 23:02 IST

IMAGE: Neymar scored the goal in the 30th minute as he fired in from a tight angle after being played through by Lionel Messi. Photograph: Christian Hartmann/Reuters

Paris St Germain forward Neymar scored his eighth Ligue 1 goal of the season as the champions beat Brest 1-0 at Parc des Princes on Saturday to extend their unbeaten start and reclaim top spot in the standings.

 

The result, secured after Gianluigi Donnarumma saved a late Islam Slimani penalty, means Christophe Galtier's side have 19 points from seven games, two more than second-placed RC Lens who led the table after a 1-0 win over Troyes on Friday.

Olympique de Marseille can go level on points with PSG if they beat visitors Lille later on Saturday.

Brest came into the contest having conceded a club record 16 goals in their first six games and were carved open in the 30th minute despite a bright start as Neymar fired in from a tight angle after being played through by Lionel Messi.

The visitors were lucky not to be reduced to 10 men minutes earlier as Christophe Herelle was shown a red card for scything down Neymar but a review prompted the referee to reverse his decision as the PSG forward was offside before the tackle.

PSG turned the screw on their opponents and both Messi and Kylian Mbappe squandered clear-cut chances either side of halftime before 17th-placed Brest were awarded a spot kick but Slimani's tame 70th minute effort was kept out by Donnarumma.

The Italian goalkeeper was then called into action again and kept his team ahead with a diving save after the ball appeared to be going in at the near post off Slimani's shoulder following a whipped cross from the left.

IMAGE: Mathys Tel, left, celebrates after scoring Bayern Munich's first goal during the Bundesliga match between against VfB Stuttgart at Allianz Arena in Munich on Saturday. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Bayern Munich conceded a stoppage-time equaliser through VfB Stuttgart striker Serhou Guirassy from the penalty spot for a 2-2 on Saturday, the champions' third consecutive Bundesliga draw.

It started well for Bayern, who face Barcelona in the Champions League group stage next week, with forward Mathys Tel scoring their opener in the 36th minute.

France youth international Tel, who at the age of 17 years and 136 days became the youngest player to start a league game for Bayern, had already scored in the German Cup first round.

He made sure of his first league goal by drilling in a low drive from a Alphonso Davies cutback.

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann rotated heavily from the side's 2-0 midweek Champions League win at Inter, and his team dropped their pace in the second half, giving Stuttgart more room to push forward.

They were rewarded when Chris Fuehrich netted the equaliser form close range in the 57th but three minutes later Bayern were back in front with another teenager.

Jamal Musiala, the 19-year-old former youngest league scorer for Bayern, shook off his marker with a quick change of direction and floated a superb ball into the back of the net.

The visitors' biggest chance to level came in the 74th when Guirassy's shot from 18 metres bounced off the crossbar with keeper Manuel Neuer beaten.

But they earned a stoppage time penalty following a foul by Matthijs de Ligt on Guirassy.

The Guinea international kept his composure to beat Neuer and earn a point for the visitors.

Bayern go top of the table on goal difference with 12 points, ahead of the weekend's other fixtures.

Leipzig stun Dortmund 3-0 in winning debut for coach Marco Rose

IMAGE: RB Leipzig's players celebrate winning their match against Borussia Dortmund. Photograph: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

RB Leipzig stunned Borussia Dortmund 3-0 on Saturday with goals from Willi Orban, Dominik Szoboszlai and Amadou Haidara for a morale-boosting victory and a winning debut for new coach Marco Rose.

Rose replaced Domenico Tedesco earlier this week after a bad start to the league season and a 4-1 loss at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League this week.

The hosts, who travel to Real Madrid in the Champions League next week, did not have to wait long for a goal with Orban's header off the corner in the sixth minute.

Leipzig should have scored again through Timo Werner and Szoboszlai before the Hungarian made amends, drilling in their second goal with a 25-metre missile into the top corner on the stroke of halftime.

There was far too little from the visitors with Dortmund, who face Manchester City in the Champions League next week, not managing a single shot on target for the entire game.

Instead it was Leipzig who scored again through Amadou Haidara in the 84th after some more sloppy defending from Dortmund.

Leipzig move up to eight points in 10th place while Dortmund drop to fourth on 12. Bayern Munich are top also on 12, with Freiburg, also on 12 points, facing Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday.

Source: REUTERS
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