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PSG hit seven to reach Champions League last 16

AFP
Messi and Mbappe both bagged braces, while Neymar also got in on the scoring
Messi and Mbappe both bagged braces, while Neymar also got in on the scoringAFP
Kylian Mbappe and a Lionel Messi in vintage form both scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain crushed Israel's Maccabi Haifa 7-2 to secure a place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a game to spare.

Neymar was on target too, and the Brazilian also forced an own goal from Maccabi defender Sean Goldberg before Carlos Soler completed the rout as the Parisians netted seven times in a Champions League game for the first time since November 2017.

The win means PSG have qualified from Group H along with Benfica, although it will go down to next week's final matchday to decide who advances in first place and therefore benefits from a theoretically kinder draw in the next round.

Maccabi Haifa, who saw Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Seck score both of their goals, are eliminated along with Juventus - but the Israeli champions could still pip the Italian giants to third place and Europa League football.

Mbappe's latest goals - his fifth and sixth in this season's Champions League taking him to 16 in all competitions - came a day after reports emerged in France of the eye-watering details of his new contract at PSG.

After a difficult first season in Paris, Messi is now looking more like the player he was in Catalonia and he opened the scoring here in the 19th minute.

Mbappe laid the ball back to the Argentine who took a touch before sending a shot across goalkeeper Josh Cohen and into the far corner of the net with the outside of his left boot.

Mbappe then needed treatment after being sent crashing into the advertising boards by Seck, but he quickly recovered to make it 2-0 just past the half-hour mark with a beautiful curling strike into the same corner.

It was from virtually the same spot in the box that Neymar made it 3-0 after being set up by Messi, but the Israelis did then pull one back as Seck headed in from an Omer Atzili dead-ball delivery.

Then came what was probably the night's outstanding goal, as Messi linked up brilliantly with Mbappe before jinking his way into a shooting position and burying a shot into the bottom-left corner.

It was his 11th goal of the season, meaning he has now matched his tally for the whole of the last campaign.

The goals kept coming after half-time, albeit not for Messi.

Seck pulled a second goal back with a looping header over Gianluigi Donnarumma, but then Mbappe made it 5-2 as he controlled Achraf Hakimi's cross and whipped a stunning shot into the far corner from the left side of the box.

The unfortunate Goldberg gave PSG their sixth and Messi crashed a shot off the bar before substitute Soler put the seal on the victory.

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