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Attendance: 47,505
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Ligue 1 | Gameweek 5
Sep 14, 2019 at 4.30pm UK
 
Strasbourg

1-0

Neymar (92')
FT(HT: 0-0)

Neymar vows to give his all for Paris Saint-Germain after failed summer exit

Neymar scored with an overhead kick in injury time in a 1-0 victory over Strasbourg.

Neymar says he understands why he was booed by his own supporters – even after scoring a spectacular winner on his Paris St Germain return.

The Brazilian returned to the PSG side for the first time this season after his very public desire to move back to Barcelona over the summer eventually came to nothing.

Thomas Tuchel put Neymar straight back in the starting line-up after he scored for Brazil last week and he was booed by a noisy section of PSG fans throughout.

Neymar celebrates his late winner
Neymar celebrates his late winner (Francois Mori/AP).

Jeers could even be heard after the world's most expensive footballer prevented what had looked like being a goalless draw with Strasbourg by scoring an overhead kick in injury time.

Neymar said in quotes reported by L'Equipe: "We all know what happened (in the summer). I understand that it is very difficult for them (the fans).

"But from now on, I am a PSG player. If they want to whistle me, there is no problem. There are more than 25 players in the squad, you cannot focus on one.

"The other players do not deserve to be subjected to this. We have a team and we have to support the club, support Paris. When the crowd is behind the team, together we are stronger."

Asked if he had a message for the fans, he said: "No, nothing. I just want to thank my team-mates for allowing me to score this goal."

As well as Neymar's return, there were also debuts for goalkeeper Keylor Navas, signed from Real Madrid, who PSG play in the Champions League on Wednesday, and Inter Milan loanee Mauro Icardi.

Navas said on psg.fr: "I feel very good and I am very happy after this win. It was a difficult match, but my team-mates played a great match and Neymar scored the winning goal.

Neymar faces a battle to win over the Paris St Germain fans
Neymar faces a battle to win over the Paris St Germain fans (Francois Mori/AP).

"We had to push and score in the very last minute, it was liberating. Neymar is important to the team, we are happy to have him with us."

The result was cruel on Strasbourg, who were the only Ligue 1 team not to lose to PSG in the league last season.

Manager Thierry Laurey told a press conference: "We had played the match that had to be played, conceding the fewest opportunities.

"Unfortunately, a match lasts 94 or 95 minutes and there was an unexpected event, if we can call it that. It's frustrating and cruel.

"We had situations to go ahead and score. If we did not manage to take the advantage it was because we missed a little something. But I am proud of the players."

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Nuno da Costa in action for Strasbourg on March 30, 2019
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Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CParis Saint-GermainPSG312010176294770
2MonacoMonaco31177758411758
3Brest31168749331656
4Lille311510645271855
5Nice31149836251151
6Lens32147114234849
7Marseille31111194738944
8Lyon31135134251-944
9Rennes31119114841742
10Montpellier HSCMontpellier321011114144-340
11Toulouse321010123942-340
12Reims31117133845-740
13StrasbourgStrasbourg3199133444-1036
14NantesNantes3195172949-2032
15Le HavreLe Havre31611143041-1129
16Metz3185183251-1929
17Lorient3268183763-2626
18Clermont31510162550-2525


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