Sharjah24 - AFP: With one group match remaining, Paris Saint-Germain defeated Israel's Maccabi Haifa 7-2 on Tuesday to seal a spot in the round of 16. Kylian Mbappe and a Lionel Messi in vintage form each scored twice.
For the first time since November 2017, Paris scored seven goals in a Champions League match thanks to Neymar's goal and an own goal by Maccabi defender Sean Goldberg. Carlos Soler then sealed the victory.
With the victory, PSG and Benfica have both advanced from Group H, but it will be decided on the last matchday of next week who will advance and receive a supposedly more favorable draw for the next round.
"That evening was wonderful. Between the three excellent attackers, the midfielders, and the defenders, the squad played fantastic football "said Christophe Galtier, the PSG coach.
They have a strong bond with one another.
Both Maccabi Haifa and Juventus were eliminated, and both teams had goals scored by Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Seck. However, the Israeli champions still have a chance to surpass the Italian powerhouses and advance to the Europa League after the World Cup break.
Maccabi head coach Barak Bakhar said, "I prefer to lose 7-2 than to play awful football and lose 4-0."
The best players in the world were playing against us, and they demonstrated that tonight.
The forthcoming World Cup in Qatar is undoubtedly a factor in Messi and Neymar's exceptional early-season form, and together with Mbappe, they turned on the style to routinely leave Maccabi looking bewildered and perplexed in defense.
Mbappe's most recent goals, his fifth and sixth in the Champions League this season, bringing his total to 16 across all competitions, came a day after reports in France surfaced about the obscene terms of his new deal with PSG.
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