Lionel Messi opened the scoring and Neymar scored twice as French champion Paris Saint-Germain beat French Cup winner Nantes 4-0 to win the Champions Trophy on Sunday.
Messi, the record seven-time Ballon d’Or winner, netted
midway through the first half. Taking a deflected pass from Neymar, he went
past goalkeeper Alban Lafont before scoring with a fine finish.
Neymar expertly guided a free kick into the top left corner
in first-half injury time to put coach Christophe Galtier’s side 2-0 up at
Bloomfield Stadium in Tel Aviv, which hosted the game for the second straight
year.
Veteran defender Sergio Ramos made it 3-0 in the 57th minute
from close range and Neymar converted a penalty in the 82nd after being fouled
by Jean-Charles Castelletto, who was sent off.
Galtier, who guided Lille to the league title against the
odds in 2021, now has his first trophy at PSG. He replaced Maurico Pochettino
after he was fired.
Antoine Kombouare, who once coached PSG, helped Nantes win
its first trophy in 21 years when it won the cup. -AP