Zlatan Ibrahimović got on the scoresheet as Paris Saint-Germain FC marked their return to the UEFA Champions League with an impressive victory against FC Dynamo Kyiv in Group A.
The Sweden captain opened the scoring from the penalty spot before centre-backs Thiago Silva and Alex added goals either side of the half-hour to leave Dynamo reeling. Although Miguel Veloso pulled one back late on, Javier Pastore quickly restored the hosts' three-goal cushion as the Ligue 1 team flexed their muscles in a dominant all-round display.
An electric atmosphere greeted kick-off and the home players appeared similarly excited to be back in Europe's top club competition after an eight-year absence, starting at a breakneck pace. Operating as a fluid front three, Jérémy Ménez, Ibrahimović and Pastore immediately posed problems. The Argentinian international was denied a third-minute goal only by Taras Mikhalik's last-ditch challenge.
The Dynamo centre-back got his timing wrong on 17 minutes, however, tripping Ménez in the box and offering Ibrahimović the chance to notch his sixth goal in only his fifth appearance for Carlo Ancelotti's side. The 30-year-old made no mistake, sending Maxym Koval the wrong way to become the first man to score for six clubs in the UEFA Champions League.
An Ibrahimović-inspired PSG took charge, Ménez's crossfield pass releasing the former AC Milan striker into space, but after eliminating Yevhen Khacheridi with a brilliant dragback, his shot was saved by Koval. Dynamo's busy goalkeeper was then quickly up to deny Pastore from the rebound.
Yuri Semin's men were working so hard to keep the Parisians at bay in open play they allowed their guard to drop at two set pieces. After a 29th-minute corner was only half-cleared, Blaise Matuidi's delivery was deflected into the path of Thiago Silva and the Brazil defender marked his debut with a firm finish. The marking was similarly sloppy three minutes later when Alex got in on the act, sweeping in Clément Chantôme's clever low corner.
Dynamo looked more solid in the second period, although by then the two-time French title winners were coasting. Pastore was unlucky to see his cross-shot flash wide, yet the playmaker made amends by shooting low past Koval in added time.
That goal came moments after Veloso's cross had evaded everyone – including a static Salvatore Sirigu – to give the Ukrainian team a consolation, but Semin knows his troops will need to improve at home to GNK Dinamo Zagreb on 3 October, when PSG visit FC Porto.
