Paris Saint-Germain seems ready for the first Champions League game of the season. Four days before Manchester United’s visit to the Parc des Princes, Thomas Tuchel’s team triumphed over Nimes Olympique 0-4. Two of the three goals were attributed to Kylian Mbappé, who has been in top form in recent weeks. With the fifth victory in a row, PSG is provisionally shared with Stade Rennes in the lead in Ligue 1: both teams have fifteen points after seven games.

It was entirely thanks to Baptiste Reynet that Nimes did not face a hopeless deficit after the first half. The goalkeeper stood in the way of a goal from PSG no less than six times and so Tuchel’s team had to settle for a 0-1 score at half time. A scant reflection of the balance of power, as the home team had to continue with ten men after thirteen minutes of play. Loïck Landre was immediately allowed to step in when he committed a gross charge on the body of debutant Rafinha.

A few minutes earlier, the PSG players had already asked for Lucas Deaux to be red. The foul on the shin of Leandro Paredes, however, was penalized with yellow and a few minutes later the Argentinian had to be replaced by Ander Herrera. PSG’s chances, with Mitchell Bakker on the left back position, against ten men from Nimes piled up and in the end only Mbappé scored after just over half an hour of play. After a wonderful through pass from Rafinha, the attacker got rid of Reynet with a drag motion and worked the ball into the goal: 0-1.

In the second half, a second goal from PSG was delayed for a long time. The Tuchel team had more than eighty percent possession of the ball, but it was visibly more difficult to create chances than in the first half. Reynet quickly prevented a low shot from Mbappé from leading to 0-2 and after 67 minutes a wonderful volley by Alessandro Florenzi ended on the post. Fifteen minutes before the end, the Italian hit the aluminum again at Bakker’s instructions. Florenzi got his goal after two minutes: after a header from Pablo Sarabia towards the goal mouth, he headed the ball in.

Sarabia was also at the base of Mbappé’s 0-3 seven minutes before the end. After a pass from the Spaniard, the attacker could only go to Reynet, who was passed with a low shot. Mbappé, good for seven goals and four assists in his last nine duels for club and country, was replaced by Jesé Rodriguez not much later. Shortly before the end, Sarabia shot the ball through Reynet’s legs: 0-4.