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Reuters
Reuters
Sport
Julien Pretot

PSG sail into last 16 as Kurzawa nets hat trick in rout of Anderlecht

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa (3rd R) and team mates celebrate after the match   REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

PARIS (Reuters) - Paris St Germain qualified for the Champions League last 16 in emphatic fashion when they extended their perfect Group B record with a 5-0 home win against Anderlecht on Tuesday, with fullback Layvin Kurzawa scoring a hat-trick.

Neymar, back in the team after being sent off during the French 'classic' against Olympique de Marseille nine days ago, scored the second goal on the stroke of halftime after Marco Verratti's opener, with Kurzawa completing the scoreline after the interval.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain’s Marquinhos and team mates celebrate after the match REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

PSG have 12 points from four games and lead Bayern Munich, who beat Celtic 2-1 away, by three points.

Celtic have three points and Anderlecht have none, both clubs being eliminated from Europe's premium club competition.

PSG have scored 17 goals in the campaign and conceded none while Anderlecht have yet to net one.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa scores their fourth goal REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Providing they each win their next game, PSG and Bayern will battle it out for top spot in the final round of matches in December.

"It's always a pleasure to score," said Verratti after his second goal in 40 Champions League appearances.

"After scoring the first goal we played more freely and managed to secure a nice team victory. Everybody contributed, with notably the strikers helping with the defensive tasks.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain’s Dani Alves in action with Anderlecht's Henry Onyekuru   REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

"We also managed to play fast, which is always important against teams who come here to sit back and wait."

"I scored thanks to my team mates' work. I needed that confidence boost," said Kurzawa. "Now I need to continue to work and further improve."

PSG dominated from the outset but Kylian Mbappe's early strike from inside the box was blocked by Frank Boeckx.

FILE PHOTO- Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti (2nd R) celebrates scoring their first goal with team mates .REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

The France forward, however, found Verratti in the area on the half-hour for the Italy midfielder to fire the ball into the far corner.

It was a deserved lead for PSG, who doubled their tally four minutes into stoppage time in the first half when Neymar's 20-metre strike went past Boeckx.

Neymar's free kick bounced on to the post and into the path of Kurzawa, who poked home the ball seven minutes into the second half.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain’s Layvin Kurzawa celebrates scoring their fourth goal REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

The fullback made it 4-0 with a diving header in the 72nd and added his personal third six minutes later with a low shot after being set up by Angel Di Maria.

PSG next take on Celtic while Bayern travel to Anderlecht on Nov. 22.

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Anderlecht coach Hein Vanhaezebrouck   REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

(Editing by Clare Fallon)

Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery  REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
Soccer Football - Champions League - Paris St Germain vs R.S.C. Anderlecht - Parc des Princes, Paris, France - October 31, 2017 Anderlecht's Pieter Gerkens in action with Paris Saint-Germain’s Neymar (L) and Marco Verratti REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes
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