European roundup: Messi acrobatics light up PSG’s opening rout of Clermont

Lionel Messi scored two goals, including a sensational bicycle-kick, as Paris Saint-Germain began their Ligue 1 title defence with an emphatic 5-0 win at Clermont.

Neymar, Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos were also on target at the Stade Gabriel Montpied as PSG made an impressive start under their new coach, Christophe Galthier, despite the absence of Kylian Mbappé through injury. It took only nine minutes for PSG to go ahead, Messi brilliantly flicking the ball on for Neymar to finish.

Hakimi doubled the visitors’ lead midway through the first half from a lightning counter-attack, before Marquinhos headed Neymar’s free-kick into the net to make it 3-0 at half-time. Neymar added a second assist for Messi’s first goal with 10 minutes left, and the Argentina forward capped an excellent display late on, controlling a Leandro Paredes pass on his chest and firing acrobatically home.

Earlier, Monaco won 2-1 at Strasbourg after the home side saw a last-gasp equaliser ruled out by VAR. Monaco went 2-0 up through goals from Krepin Diatta and Sofiane Diop before Habib Diallo pulled one back in the 65th minute. Diallo thought he had another in stoppage time when he headed home but teammate Alexander Djiku was found to be offside in the buildup.

In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund kicked off their campaign with a 1-0 home victory over Bayer Leverkusen, but the result was marred by a foot injury suffered by their new attacking recruit, Karim Adeyemi.

A 10th-minute goal from the Dortmund captain, Marco Reus, proved enough for the hosts in coach Edin Terzic’s first game in permanent charge. Adeyemi thought he had scored when he turned Youssoufa Moukoko’s cut back towards goal. Lukas Hradecky reacted to stop the ball crossing the line, but