PSG 5 - 0 Anderlecht: Left back Layvin Kurzawa nets hat-trick

Left-back Layvin Kurzawa scored a second-half hattrick as Paris Saint-Germain crushed Anderlecht 5-0 to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League.

Paris Saint-Germain's French defender Layvin Kurzawa with the matchball after his hat-trick against Anderlecht. Picture: Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty Images

PSG, who are unbeaten this season, could have had more goals but squandered five clear scoring opportunities before Marco Verratti opened the scoring in the 30th minute with a well-taken effort.

Brazil striker Neymar, after fluffing his earlier shots, made it 2-0 deep into first-half stoppage time with a fine strike from the edge of the penalty area.

Then it was the unheralded Kurzawa’s turn to shine in a star-studded side that is desperate to prove they belong among Europe’s elite after failing to go beyond the quarter-final stage in the past five seasons.

Kurzawa, pictured, added the third goal after 52 minutes, when Neymar’s free-kick hit the post and bounced up to him, and then scored the fourth after Neymar and countryman Dani Alves combined to set him up with a telling cross in the 72nd.

Just six minutes later, the France international defender drilled the ball into the bottom right corner from just inside the penalty area after substitute Angel Di Maria inadvertently rolled the ball perfectly into his path as he forayed toward goal.

PSG have won all four of their matches so far in Group B – scoring 17 goals while conceding none – and are three points clear of Bayern Munich. The German champions joined PSG in the last 16 after winning 2-1 away at Celtic. PSG’s next Group B match is at home to the Scottish champions on 22 November.