World Cup winner Ferran Torres hit a clinical hat-trick as holders PSG smashed Slovan Bratislava 6-1 in their Champions League opener.
The Spain forward, who scored the winner in the final in the USA this summer, scored twice on his league debut for PSG last month and went one better in the Champions League.
Ousmane Dembele also scored twice with midfielder Fabian Ruiz adding a late sixth.
Elsewhere, Stuttgart beat newcomers Viking 3-1, and Sporting proved too strong for Galatasaray.
For Dembele, his double offered a welcome and timely return to form following a frustrating start to the domestic season. The reigning Ballon d’Or winner was taken off at halftime in PSG’s Ligue 1 opener against Rennes, left out against Lille, and proved ineffective off the bench in a 2-1 defeat to Monaco last Friday.
Against Slovan at the Parc des Princes, however, the Frenchman looked back to his electric best. He broke the deadlock in the 17th minute by reacting quickest to turn in the rebound after Nuno Mendes’ swerving shot hit the post, before heading home his second six minutes later from 18-year-old midfielder Dro Fernandez’s cross.
Dembélé also turned provider, setting up Torres for his first before floating in a corner for the summer signing to nod home his third in the 57th minute. Torres had earlier doubled his tally shortly after the break with a delightful touch and curled finish from the edge of the area, following a brilliant jinking run from Maghnes Akliouche.
Suleiman Camara grabbed a brief consolation for the visitors with a fine finish, but Slovan’s overwhelmed defence was repeatedly punished. A sloppy error gifted Ruiz possession late on to wrap up the scoring, capping a dominant night where Luis Enrique’s side racked up 35 shots and bounced back emphatically from a four-game winless streak.
Wednesday’s Champions League results
- Barcelona 5-1 Feyenoord
- Stuttgart 3-1 Viking
- Liverpool 2-1 Atletico Madrid
- Napoli 0-1 Arsenal
- PSG 6-1 Slovan Bratislava
- Sporting 3-1 Galatasaray
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