Nuno Mendes says PSG Focused after stunning goal in 4-0 over Atalanta: “It’s harder than last year” [video] | OneFootball

PSG 4-0 Atalanta

Paris Saint-Germain were in sensational form on the opening night of the defence of their Champions League trophy against Atalanta at the Parc des Princes.

The French side ran their opponents ragged throughout the encounter, which could easily have produced an even more one-sided scoreline. Portuguese duo Nuno Mendes and substitute Gonçalo Ramos were among the scorers for Luis Enrique’s side, who have also made a 100% start in Ligue 1.

Captain Marquinhos set the tone for a blistering start on 3 minutes when the defender won the ball just outside the Atalanta penalty area to instigate a chance, which he converted from Fabian Ruiz’s pass. Mendes squandered a great opportunity to make it 2-0 from inside the box, while Bradley Barcola missed a penalty, before Khvicha Kvaratshelia finally doubled the lead.

In the second half, both goals were scored by Portuguese. First, Mendes added weight to his reputation as the best left-back in the world by cutting inside Marten de Roon to send the Dutchman to the grass, then clinically finishing five minutes after the re-start. Ramos was introduced on 58 minutes in place of João Neves, rounding off the scoring in stoppage time with a deft finish. Vitinha played the full 90 minutes in midfield for Luis Enrique’s side.

"It's harder than last year,” Mendes told reporters after the match. “Today, we played a good game from start to finish. I think we're on the right track. We tried to control the whole game, we did it well, which is good for us. Are we stronger than last season? I think we're starting from the same level. The other teams have great players, players who can make the difference. We managed not to concede a goal at home, which is good."

Spanish boss Luis Enrique was asked if the European champions had sent a message to the rest of the teams in the tournament, not only with the scoreline but the sheer dominance of the performance, which completely overwhelmed Atalanta, who have a solid reputation away from home in Europe.

“That wasn't our intention [to send a message]” Enrique said. “The goal was to start this campaign well with an important first match for us. We put in a very good performance against a team that defends one-on-one, and I think we deserved this victory. We're continuing the work we started two years ago. There are still things to improve, but I liked our mentality and our intensity.”

Next up for PSG is a trip to fierce rivals Marseille in Le Classique on Sunday evening.