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Neymar has opened up on an unforgettable early meeting with Diego Maradona as he paid tribute to the 1986 World Cup winner, who passed away from a heart attack last week. 

The Paris Saint-Germain attacker scored twice on Wednesday night as he guided his side to a 3-1 win over Manchester United in the Champions League. 

While Neymar has been household name for over a decade now, the Brazilian star crossed paths with Maradona when he was only just starting to show his promise for Santos. 

One of their earlier exchanges was one Neymar will never forget with Maradona going out of his way to make a young boy feel welcome and even ensuring the duo got a photo together. 

"I had just a few contacts with Maradona, but I'll never forget the one when I was 12 or 13 years old," Neymar told Eleven Sports.

"I was just starting at Santos and I went to watch a show match between Brazil and Argentina - a game between former players.

"As the Brazilian team's bus were already full, I couldn't go with them, so they put me onto Argentina's bus. There were two guys highlighted in there, because they were sitting in the first seats: they were [Alejandro] Mancuso and Maradona.

"So they put me alongside them and treated me very well. So well that, when we arrived in the stadium, they took me to Argentina's locker room and onto the field.

"I even have a photo with Maradona, from when I was a little. He called me over to take that picture. I'll never forget his gesture.

"On the pitch he was an icon for everybody, sure. For me as well, but I've always respected him as an athlete and as a footballer. I will never forget that." 

Neymar is no stranger to talented Argentine footballers and expressed his desire to play with Lionel Messi again on Wednesday night. 

The duo spent four seasons together at Barcelona and the PSG forward has declared they need to be reunited next season with Messi's contract at Camp Nou due to expire. 

"What I want the most is to enjoy playing with him again," Neymar told ESPN. "For sure, next year we have to do it."

Neymar insisted he did not leave Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain to play in the Europa League after boosting the club's Champions League qualification hopes on Wednesday.

PSG are in control of their own destiny thanks to a Neymar-inspired 3-1 victory over 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford midweek.

United only required a draw to progress to the last 16, but their passage to the knockout stage was put on hold after Neymar's double and a Marquinhos goal threw Group H wide open heading into the final matchday.

PSG, United and RB Leipzig are all level on nine points through five matches, with the Ligue 1 champions – who reached last season's final – only needing a draw against Istanbul Basaksehir next week to secure a round-of-16 berth.

"That is why I said that we needed to change attitude or else we could forget about our Champions League dream," Neymar, who joined PSG in a world-record €222million deal in 2017 after winning the Champions League with Barca, told Eleven Sports.

"But we have changed. And today our dream has more life in it. Of course, I have never been eliminated in the Champions League [group stage] or played in the Europa League.

"That never crossed my mind and it never well. When these difficult moments come, I am able to evolve and take my responsibilities. I did not come here to play in the Europa League."

Neymar opened the scoring inside six minutes away to United before Marcus Rashford scored in his third successive Champions League appearance against PSG.

After Anthony Martial wasted a gilt-edged opportunity and former PSG forward Edinson Cavani rattled the crossbar, it all went pear-shaped for United – who watched Marquinhos bundle the ball over the line with 21 minutes remaining and saw Fred receive a second yellow card moments later.

Neymar added gloss to the scoreline in the first minute of stoppage time and he said: "I have always felt like a leader, since I was 17, I have never needed to have an armband to feel that way. Today, I am a figure at PSG.

"Everything that I can do on the pitch has an impact on my team-mates and what I want, is to help them, to give the best of myself. I am a very annoying guy on the pitch, I follow up a lot with my team-mates, but I am also ready to accept criticism, about myself too.

"I am not untouchable. Everyone is fighting for the same thing. I am very happy to be able to help my team-mates."

PSG have won both of their last two away matches against English opposition in all competitions (both versus United) – they had only won one of their first 10 such visits prior (drawn four and lost five).

Since his Champions League debut in 2013, only Cristiano Ronaldo (79), Robert Lewandowski (60) and Lionel Messi (59) have more goals in the competition than Neymar (38).

Neymar's double in Manchester was the Brazilian's first goals in his six Champions League games away to English sides.

PSG head coach Tuchel added: "Neymar was again decisive. He is not 100 per cent but he is decisive.

"Marquinhos was also decisive. These two players were already decisive for us in Portugal. They are leaders, they take responsibility when necessary. Congratulations to both players!"

Andrea Pirlo says Alvaro Morata is playing "free of pressure" after another impressive display from the on-loan striker in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Morata, who returned to Juve on a temporary basis from Atletico Madrid in September, took his tally in this season's competition to six goals with the third in the Bianconeri's 3-0 win over Dynamo Kiev. 

Juve – who had already secured their last-16 spot after three wins from their opening four games – had earlier gone ahead thanks to Federico Chiesa's first Juve strike and Cristiano Ronaldo's 750th career goal.

Morata is level with Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Erling Haaland as the Champions League top scorer this season, while his seven goal involvements is just one fewer than Borussia Monchengladbach's Alassane Plea, who leads the way in that department. 

Morata's tally also means he has scored the most goals for Juventus in the group stage since David Trezeguet also scored six in the 2001-02 campaign. 

Pirlo was thrilled with the Spain international's contribution and believes his experiences elsewhere in recent years have made him a more rounded player than the one that left the club in 2016. 

"Morata arrived very young at Juventus and he returned from his experiences in Madrid and London a more mature person and player," the Juve boss told Sky Sport Italia .

"He feels happy and free of pressure, so that helps anyone give their best. We wanted him at all costs and are very happy to have him."

Juve will need to overcome Barcelona at Camp Nou by three goals next week if they are to qualify for the knockout stages as group winners. 

While conceding it is a tall order, Pirlo believes his players will be highly motivated by the challenge. 

"These were the easiest games to prepare as a player, so I hope the same will be true as a coach," he added. "These fixtures really focus the mind, the motivation comes by itself and I feel ready."

Captain Leonardo Bonucci agreed with his coach that the trip to Catalonia will be difficult, saying: "It won't be easy to score the three goals against Barcelona to take the top spot, but we'll try our best.

"We know there's a process and a journey we need to go through. The target was to qualify for the round of 16 and be in the running with Barcelona for the top spot until the end, so we've achieved that. Now we'll try to complete the job.

"I think we are on track considering we didn't have any real rest or the kind of pre-season training routine you need when there are many changes both on the bench and in the squad."

Paris Saint-Germain head coach Thomas Tuchel insisted the French giants have not achieved anything after boosting their Champions League qualification hopes by defeating Manchester United 3-1.

A Neymar brace and Marquinhos' goal placed United's last-16 progression on hold, while putting last season's runners-up PSG in control of their own destiny heading into the sixth and final matchday in Group H.

Neymar opened the scoring inside six minutes at Old Trafford on Wednesday before United star Marcus Rashford scored in his third successive Champions League appearance against PSG.

After Anthony Martial wasted a gilt-edged opportunity and former PSG forward Edinson Cavani rattled the crossbar, it all went pear-shaped for United – who watched Marquinhos bundle the ball over the line with 21 minutes remaining and saw Fred receive a second yellow card moments later.

Neymar added gloss to the scoreline in the first minute of stoppage time as PSG joined United and RB Leipzig on nine points with one fixture remaining – Tuchel's side only require a draw against Istanbul Basaksehir to secure a place in the knockout stages.

But Tuchel urged calm post-match, telling RMC Sport: "Nearly qualified, is not qualified. Nearly pregnant, is not being pregnant. That does not exist, I am not going to let a single guy think that everything has been done.

"We have made a big step forward but I am not going to let a single guy think that we are already qualified.

"We need to make the last step and for that, we will need to play with the same mentality, the same fire and the same spirit."

PSG have won both of their last two away matches against English opposition in all competitions (both versus United) – they had only won one of their first 10 such visits prior (drawn four and lost five).

Since his Champions League debut in 2013, only Cristiano Ronaldo (79), Robert Lewandowski (60) and Lionel Messi (59) have more goals in the competition than Neymar (38).

Neymar's double in Manchester was the Brazilian's first goals in his six Champions League games away to English sides.

"We can be proud tonight," PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told RMC Sport. "We showed the real PSG, a real team who is fighting for the Champions League. It was important for us, this was a decisive match.

"We needed to show that we are always present in the big moments. I am proud of my players. It was difficult, it was a match that everyone wanted to win, I think that we created goals.

"Now we need to continue, we are not yet qualified, that is our aim. We also have the Ligue 1 match with Montpellier."

Ronald Koeman believes Antoine Griezmann is growing in confidence and the Barcelona head coach hopes the forward's run of form can continue.

Griezmann scored for the third straight game for the first time in his Barca career with the opener in Wednesday's 3-0 Champions League win at Ferencvaros.

Martin Braithwaite doubled the lead before Ousmane Dembele's penalty as Barca, without the rested Lionel Messi, won their first five group stage games in a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2002-03.

But Griezmann's form is a particular boost amid the club's inconsistencies in LaLiga and Koeman praised the forward.

"It is always a matter of trust of a player. As I said many times, Antoine has always worked hard to improve his game and effectiveness for the team," he said.

"Now the goals come in and he is convinced because he has quality. I think this is important for any player.

"I hope he can continue with this effectiveness he's having lately."

After Griezmann's brilliant flicked finish for the opener, Dembele set up Braithwaite before getting on the scoresheet himself.

No player had more shots than Dembele's five and Koeman said the forward's performance would give him selection headaches.

"Dembele is a great player. He has a lot of quality, one on one, he is very fast, he is effective and manages both legs," he said.

"The most important thing is he is physically very well. He is working well.

"We know there are different players at the front and it is difficult for the manager to decide when people like Dembele are playing at this level."

Sitting seventh in LaLiga, Barca are away to Cadiz on Saturday.

Cristiano Ronaldo thanked "players, coaches and loyal opponents" after the Juventus star scored the 750th goal of his remarkable career.

Ronaldo reached the milestone with a simple finish 57 minutes into Juve's 3-0 win over Dynamo Kiev in their Champions League Group G clash on Wednesday.

It was his 75th across all competitions for Juve after his 2018 move from Real Madrid – where he scored 450 goals.

The 35-year-old, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, reached that mammoth total for Madrid in just 438 matches across all competitions, following his then world-record move from Manchester United in 2009.

During his six-year stint at Old Trafford, he scored 118 times for the Red Devils.

Ronaldo, who recently surpassed the 100-goal mark for Portugal, becoming only the second male footballer to reach a century at international level after Iran's Ali Daei, is comfortably Madrid's all-time leading scorer, with 127 more goals than Los Blancos legend Raul, whose haul came from 741 appearances.

Despite missing several weeks of the campaign after testing positive for coronavirus, Ronaldo has been in fine form this season, having netted eight times from just four Serie A starts, though his strike against Dynamo was only his second in the Champions League this term.

Following his landmark achievement, Ronaldo used his official Twitter account to thank not only his team-mates and coaches – he has worked under the likes of Alex Ferguson, Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane – but also his opponents.

"750 goals, 750 happy moments, 750 smiles in the faces of our supporters," he wrote. 

"Thank you to all the players and coaches that helped me reach this amazing number, thank you to all my loyal opponents that made me work harder and harder everyday."

Ronaldo will now set his sights on goal 751 when Juve take on Torino on Saturday – he has scored three goals from his four Serie A appearances against the Bianconeri's city rivals.

Ronald Koeman claimed he has seen a "big change" in his Barcelona players compared to the way they started the season in La Liga.

The Blaugrana made it five wins out of five Champions League matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Ferencvaros in Champions League Group G on Wednesday.

Barca will have the chance to win all six of their group games for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign when they face Juventus at Camp Nou next Tuesday.

Koeman's side have struggled in La Liga this season, though, and are 12 points behind leaders Real Sociedad – albeit with two games in hand – after losing three and drawing two of their opening nine games.

The Dutchman, however, suggested there has been a significant difference in the performances produced by his players in recent weeks.

It was emphasised by Barcelona's stylish second goal, scored by Martin Braithwaite, which featured a sequence of 33 consecutive passes in the build-up – the most for a goal scored in the Champions League this season.

"Lately, we have more effectiveness," Koeman said in a post-match media conference. "In defence we can still improve, but we are on the right track and hopefully we can continue like this.

"The difference is the team has been effective in the games. It is quite a big change compared to the beginning of the season. The hunger that we have, you have to prove it.

"The most important thing is to get to the last 16 of the Champions League, but if you win six out of six it would be a historic milestone."

Barcelona's win in Hungary was secured thanks to additional goals from Antoine Griezmann and fellow France international Ousmane Dembele, who netted from the penalty spot.

Koeman was particularly impressed with an eye-catching performance from Dembele.

The 23-year-old was a menacing presence on the left flank and attempted five shots, more than any other Barca player.

"Dembele is a great player," added the Barcelona head coach.

"He is very fast, he plays with both legs and is physically very well. For the coach it is difficult to make decisions when people like Dembele are playing as they are.

"There is a lot of competition in attack. You can see that we have a good squad and we have been able to let several players rest.

"Those who have played have shown that there is competition, and want to play well and create chances."

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has said he wants to play alongside former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi next season. 

Neymar and Messi were together at Barcelona for four seasons between 2013 and 2017, combining to devastating effect in the Blaugrana's forward line. 

Alongside Luis Suarez, Neymar and Messi would help Barcelona win La Liga twice and the Champions League once, along with three Copa del Rey titles. 

Neymar left Barca in the summer of 2017, however, joining PSG in a world-record €222 million transfer. 

The Brazilian has been frequently linked with a return to Barcelona since he left Camp Nou, nearly making the move on several occasions.

Meanwhile, Messi's future with Barca is in major doubt after a tumultuous summer that saw him request a move away, only to rescind that request after the club vowed he would have to battle them in court over the validity of his release clause. 

But the Argentine's deal with Barcelona will expire at the end of the current season, meaning he could be in the final months of his legendary run with the Blaugrana.

Though it's not clear where a possible reunion would take place, Neymar insisted that he wants to play alongside Messi again after Wednesday's vital 3-1 Champions League win over Manchester United.

"What I want the most is to enjoy playing with him again," Neymar told ESPN after scoring a pair of goals against United.

When asked where that reunion would occur, Neymar said with a laugh: "He can play in my role, it wouldn't be a problem with me!"

He added: "For sure, next year we have to do it."

The Brazilian star scored in the sixth minute at Old Trafford and then sealed the match in second-half stoppage time as the Ligue 1 side went top of a tightly contested Group H.

PSG are on nine points, as are Man Utd and RB Leipzig, heading into the final matchday of the group next week.

But Neymar's side only need a draw against Istanbul Basaksehir on Tuesday to clinch progression to the knockout phase, which would leave United and Leipzig to fight for one remaining spot in the last 16.

Speaking to Eleven Sports PT after the match, Neymar insisted that he hasn't even considered the possibility of finishing third in the group and playing in the Europa League. 

"I've never seen myself knocked out of the Champion's League or playing the Europa League," Neymar said. "It never went through my head and it won't. 

"With these difficulties, I managed to grow up, to take responsibility. I did not come here to play the Europa League."

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has said "we'll have to see" if four-goal hero Olivier Giroud will start for the Blues on Saturday against Leeds United. 

Giroud turned in an incredible performance on Wednesday at Sevilla, scoring all four goals as Chelsea defeated the La Liga side 4-0.

The 34-year-old set a host of records on the night, including becoming the oldest player to score a Champions League hat-trick.

Speaking to BT Sport after the match, Lampard marvelled at the performance of his veteran striker. 

"Four goals at this level and the quality of the goals, individual aspects from Olivier, team aspects in the first half, from back to front the team were great," Lampard said.

"[It was an] amazing solo performance from Olivier. [I'm] delighted with him, delighted with the team. This is a difficult place to come. There were moments in the first half where it was tough and we dealt with it.

"Olivier is reliable, full stop. Not just for us but his international goals for France, he's up there with great French individuals, he's got great statistics.

"I'm not too bothered about that in a way but I am bothered about what he gives us on the pitch. There couldn't be a team-mate there that the players are happier for because of the way Olivier is around the training pitch and in the games."

Despite his four-goal outburst, Giroud has found playing time hard to come by at Stamford Bridge this season. The France international has regularly found himself behind Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner in the Blues pecking order.

Giroud has made just five Premier League appearances this season, all of which have come off the bench.

Asked if he would hand Giroud his first league start of the season against Leeds, Lampard replied: "We'll have to see – it's a tight turnaround but it's four goals in a game. It's not just his performance but when you play him and utilise his strengths and his speed, there's a real balance in the rest of the team."

Chelsea go into Saturday's match in third place in the Premier League, two points behind Tottenham and Liverpool.

Borussia Dortmund manager Lucien Favre has hit out at the decision to award Lazio a penalty in their 1-1 Champions League draw on Wednesday. 

After Raphael Guerreiro had opened the scoring for Dortmund in the 44th minute, Lazio were handed a lifeline in the 67th minute after Nico Schulz was ruled to have fouled Sergej Milinkovic-Savic in the box as he went to clear the ball.

Replays showed little contact between the two as the Lazio midfielder seemingly made the most of the incident. The spot-kick was allowed to stand however, with Ciro Immobile making no mistake with his penalty. 

Neither side would then be able to find a winner as Favre's side secured their spot in the knockout stages with a point, but the coach was left to rue what was a controversial penalty decision in favour of Lazio. 

"We had our chances to score the second goal. Then we concede an unnecessary penalty against us, which isn't one," Favre told Sky post-match. 

"That's incredible. That's theatre, he is in a swimming pool. He exaggerates. But we are through to the next round. That's the most important thing."

Dortmund, who confirmed star striker Erling Haaland will be sidelined until the new year prior to the match, suffered another injury scare late in the match with veteran centre-back Mats Hummels forced from the field. 

Club director Michael Zorc is hopeful that Hummels won't join Dortmund's growing injury list after chatting with the 31-year-old following the full-time whistle. 

"I spoke to him briefly, we hope it was just a knock on his foot. We hope that he will be able to recover quickly and that no ligaments have been damaged," Zorc said.

"We have a few [injured] players on our hands and we hope that he will be able to play again this weekend."

Dortmund next face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga on Saturday before rounding out their Champions League group campaign against Zenit in Russia next week. 

Favre's side have had an inconsistent season to date and are currently fourth in Germany's top-flight – four points behind league leaders and fierce rivals Bayern Munich. 

Odion Ighalo made his debut appearance in the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday as Manchester United suffered a 3-1 defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

The Shanghai Shenhua loanee was introduced as a 90th-minute substitute for Aaron Wan-Bissaka  but his introduction could not save the Red Devils from going down at Old Trafford.

Neymar secured all three points for PSG in the stoppage time with his second goal of the night after Marquinhos restored their lead in the second half.

The Brazil star broke the deadlock for the French champions in the sixth minute but Marcus Rashford cancelled out the opener just before half-time. Meanwhile, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side were reduced to 10 men after Fred received a second yellow card in the 70th minute.

Prior to his debut on Wednesday, Ighalo has played the role of an unused substitute in Manchester United's last four outings in the Champions League this season.

Senegal's Idrissa Gueye was also introduced as a late substitute for PSG while Ivory Coast centre-back Eric Bailly watched the entire match on the bench.

So far this season, the former Super Eagles striker has played four matches across all competitions for Manchester United, which include nine minutes of football in the Premier League.

He played a starring role for the Red Devils in the Europa League earlier this year, following his loan signing from Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua.

The 31-year-old scored two goals in five appearances before they were knocked out of the tournament in the semi-finals.

Wednesday's loss at Old Trafford dropped Manchester United to second in Group H, level on nine points with leaders PSG and third-placed RB Leipzig after five outings.

They need to avoid defeat when they visit Leipzig for their final group match on December 8 in order to advance to the Champions League knockout stage.

Olivier Giroud said he wanted to simply "enjoy the night" rather than worry about his role at Chelsea after making a spectacular statement in Wednesday's Champions League win over Sevilla.

The French star scored four goals in Chelsea's 4-0 triumph over Sevilla, becoming the oldest player to score a Champions League hat-trick on a record-breaking night.

Giroud's manager Frank Lampard was the last Chelsea player to score four goals in a single game, having achieved that feat back in March 2010 against Aston Villa. 

Giroud's performance will have given Lampard some decisions to make, with the French star making his case for a more regular role under the former midfielder.

Giroud has often been left behind the likes of Tammy Abraham and Timo Werner this season, having featured in just five Premier League matches.

But, fresh off his four-goal effort, Giroud says he isn't concerned with his place in the team, at least not for the time being.

"Let me enjoy the night and that great win," he told BT Sport, "and after that we will rest and we will see what the gaffer's plan is."

He added: "When you win 4-0 in a Champions League away game it's always a great feeling and a good performance from the team. We took the game from the front foot and we were efficient up front, especially for me because I scored four goals.

"I didn't know until two years ago that you called it a perfect hat-trick, when I scored against Kiev in Europa League I said, 'What do you mean?' It was good, I had good assists though.

"I will try to carry on like that to finish the good job of the team and it's always nice to be in the club history and we play football to mark our history, so I'm pleased to help the team to win and to score the four goals."

Chelsea are set to host Leeds this weekend, marking the first occasion fans will be welcomed to Stamford Bridge this season.

And Giroud says he is excited to see supporters return to stadiums, which he believes will be a boost for the players on the field.

"It's been a long time, we miss our fans, football is not the same sport," he said. "The passion is not the same without the fans so obviously we are looking forward to Saturday and we hope for a nice welcome."

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire has questioned referee Daniele Orsato's decisions regarding his team-mate Fred, who was eventually sent off during his side's loss to Paris Saint-Germain.

Fred escaped a red card after VAR examined a first-half incident with Leandro Paredes, as the United midfielder appeared to headbutt his opponent. 

Orsato chose to give the Brazilian a yellow, acknowledging wrongdoing but deeming the incident still fell short of a red-card offence. 

Fred would, however, eventually receive his marching orders in the 70th minute as he was shown a second yellow card for a tackle on former United midfielder Ander Herrera.

That card would prove costly, as the visitors secured a 3-1 win in the Champions League tie. Neymar scored in the sixth minute before Marcus Rashford equalised, but goals from Marquinhos and a second from Neymar gave PSG all three points.

Speaking to BT Sport after the match, Maguire indicated his dismay with the result, saying he believes his side deserved more from the Group H tie.

"Disappointing night. We wanted to win the game, win the group. Football is a game of fine margins," the England international said. "We had better chances. Their two goals are scrappy goals – ricochet and pinball around the box. I feel we deserved something.

"You've got to take your chances and not give away soft goals. We're still in control of going through to the knockout stages."

Maguire also questioned Orsato's decision to give Fred a yellow card for the clash with Paredes and then award a second yellow later in the game.

"It's strange how he gave a yellow card [in the first half]. It's either a red card or nothing," Maguire said. "It's not a yellow card [in the second half]. He wins the ball. I was two yards away, the linesman was five yards [away]. Every time you go to the floor, especially in Europe, you get a booking."

PSG, Man Utd and RB Leipzig will now all go into the final matchday on nine points, with two teams set to advance to the knockout phase and one to be sent to the Europa League. 

Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso claims Victor Osimhen is not smiling after he missed their Uefa Europa League trip to AZ Alkmaar.

The 21-year-old suffered a dislocated shoulder during Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying fixture against Sierra Leone on November 13, after scoring a goal in the 4-4 draw at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium.

He has consequently missed Napoli's last three matches across all competitions, which include a 4-0 win over Roma in the Serie A and a 2-0 victory against Rijeka in the Europa League.

The Parthenopeans left Naples on Wednesday for Alkmaar and Gattuso has revealed how Osimhen felt after he was dropped from his 20-man travelling squad.

“It bothers me to see him mad and not smiling,” Gattuso said, per Gianluca Di Marzio. “He is upset and that is normal. We must ease him back in, we hope he will heal as quickly as possible.”

Osimhen has scored two goals in six Serie A matches since he arrived from Lille in the summer, however, Gattuso reserved praise for Dries Mertens as he chases his first goal in the European competition this season.

“Mertens pushes and helps his teammates even when his play is spotty,” he said.

“He knows that he hasn't been scoring but he is critical for our team spirit. He helps keep us together and he should improve."

Napoli sit at the top of Group F table with nine points after four matches - two points above second-placed Real Sociedad and Thursday's hosts AZ Alkmaar.

Gattuso has warned his team against complacency as they aim to secure their place in the Europa League last-16.

He added; “Their team is strong technically and we cannot permit ourselves to be lazy.

“Quality wins some matches, but not all. If you want to win, it takes head and heart. We play together in good and bad, it will be a tough match tomorrow. I haven't decided on a formation, I will take things into consideration."

Mikel Arteta says Arsenal are planning for the January transfer window and they will be prepared for what he expects to be an ‘unpredictable’ market.

The Gunners were active in the summer, signing Gabriel Magalhaes and Thomas Partey in big money deals and also snapping up Willian on a free transfer from Chelsea, but Arteta knows he needs to add more to his squad, especially in the attacking midfield area, with Red Bull Salzburg star Dominik Szoboszlai a player of genuine interest.

The January market is set to be a difficult one, however, with clubs across the globe still massively restricted due to the financial implications of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Money is expected to be tight at Arsenal and Arteta has already had to leave Mesut Ozil and Sokratis out of his 25-man squads for the Premier League and Europa League due to the number of players he has at his disposal.

Despite that, Arsenal’s manager says discussions are well underway to ensure some business could be done in the winter window, should the possibility arise.

“We are planning, talking with [technical director] Edu and with the club about the things we can do in January,” he said. “At the moment it's pretty difficult, unpredictable as well in terms of places as we are very restricted at the moment.

“We'll see what happens, I think things will move in the market, we will be prepared, we will need to do something knowing the limitations of that market in January and the limitations we have as well to sign players.”

Arsenal have scored just 10 times in as many Premier League games this season, with goals from midfield a real problem once again.

Granit Xhaka has scored just five goals since the start of the 2018-19 season, while Mohamed Elneny has only netted twice for Arsenal since he arrived from Basel in 2016. Dani Ceballos meanwhile has yet to add to the two strikes during his first season on loan from Real Madrid.

It is an area Arteta accepts Arsenal must improve if they are to win games on a more regular basis, but the Spaniard admits it will be difficult with the current options he has in his midfield.

“If you say ‘can they do it?’ it’s a question mark,” he said. “Have they done it in the past? The answer is no. We haven’t had any goals from midfield, it’s not something that happened this year. It happened in other years and is something that has to be addressed.

“To change the qualities and characteristics of players is very, very difficult. So again, it’s necessary. A big team needs players in midfield who score goals.

“They need central defenders that score goals from set-pieces to add to that. If you start to lose those margins, you start to lose points, you start to be away from the top team, this is not any science.”

Chelsea forward Olivier Giroud has become the oldest player to score a Champions League hat-trick on a record breaking night, after scoring all four of his side's goals in their win over Sevilla on Wednesday. 

Just over two months since his 34th birthday, the France international put his name into the history books as he hit top gear for the Blues after being given a rare start by Frank Lampard. 

Giroud's first goal came after just eight minutes following some incisive build-up play from Kai Havertz. Giroud's second then came via a chip in the 55th minute after Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic created a chance for their forward. 

A historic hat-trick was then wrapped up in the 75th minute as he got on the end of a cross from N'Golo Kante. Not done there, Giroud bagged his fourth goal of the night in the 84th minute after winning and converting a penalty. 

While Giroud is the oldest to score a hat-trick in the Champions League, Ferenc Puskas did score three goals in the European Cup aged 38 years and 173 days in 1965. 

Giroud is now just the second Frenchman to score two Champions League hat-tricks, with only Real Madrid's Karim Benzema the other player to do so. 

Lampard was the last player to score four goals in a single game for Chelsea with the Blues current manager achieving that feat back in March 2010 against Aston Villa. 

Giroud, who was substituted after scoring his fourth goal against Sevilla, has struggled for regular game time at Stamford Bridge this season and recently hinted a move away in January could be on the cards. 

"It's worrying. I thought I still had a role to play at Chelsea but my playing time is getting reduced a lot. It's going to have to change or a decision must be made," Giroud told Telefoot last month. "I am clear-headed about my situation: I will have to make a decision in January. I hope to make the right one, as I have always done."

Chelsea's big win against Sevilla has secured them top spot in Group E with one game to play with Lampard's side dropping just two points in the competition to date. 

Neymar and Marquinhos put Manchester United's progression into the last 16 of the Champions League on hold as Paris Saint-Germain secured a 3-1 win at Old Trafford. 

Marcus Rashford scored in his third successive Champions League appearance against PSG to restore parity following Neymar's opener, which was the quickest goal United have conceded in the competition since September 2015.  

Anthony Martial missed a glaring chance to complete the turnaround and Edinson Cavani hit the crossbar against his former club, with United made to pay when Marquinhos prodded PSG back in front, his effort standing after a long VAR check. 

Fred, who had been fortunate to escape a red card in the first half, received his marching orders for a tackle on United old boy Ander Herrera not long after the second goal, with PSG sealing the victory when Neymar tucked home in added time. 

United had thrived on the counter in previous games between the teams but were caught out on the break themselves six minutes in. 

Mbappe thumped a strike into a crowd of red shirts, with Neymar on hand to lash home the rebound from an acute angle. 

Matters looked set to get worse for United when Fred appeared to headbutt Leandro Paredes, yet despite checking the incident on the pitch-side monitor, referee Daniele Orsato only brandished a yellow. 

PSG's frustration was compounded just after the half-hour – Rashford keeping up his fine run against the Ligue 1 club when his shot deflected in off Danilo Pereira.

Rashford turned provider four minutes into the second half only to see Martial slice over, before he then saw a goal-bound strike blocked by Marquinhos after Cavani's lob struck the bar. 

PSG's captain was involved at the other end seven minutes later when his header hit the woodwork, before De Gea pulled off a brilliant stop to deny Mitchel Bakker. 

However, United conceded from the resulting corner, Marquinhos nudging in from point-blank range after Abdou Diallo had kept the attack alive, with Fred's second booking soon after ruining United's hopes of another comeback.

Mbappe squandered a golden chance to make it 3-1 himself but atoned when he played through Rafinha, who kept his cool to tee up Neymar.

What does it mean? All to play for in the group 

United, PSG and RB Leipzig now all sit on nine points heading into the final matchday. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side – who travel to Germany next week – still only need a point, regardless of what last season's runners up do in their home clash with Istanbul Basaksehir.

A draw against the Turkish side will guarantee PSG's place in the knockout stages. 

Brazil stars deliver for PSG  

Neymar will take the headlines for two brilliantly taken goals, which came with two of his three attempts, all of which were on target, but compatriot Marquinhos was equally impressive. 

He made two blocks, but has now scored three goals in the Champions League since the competition resumed in August – more than any other defender and more than any other PSG player in that time. 

Fred, Martial made to pay 

It was far from the same story for United's Brazilian representative in Fred, who escaped in the first half before eventually seeing red, albeit for a challenge which seemed a fair one. In total, the combative midfielder conceded four fouls, second only to Scott McTominay. 

Martial, meanwhile, had two fantastic chances to put United into the lead early in the second half, yet failed on both occasions. 

Key Opta facts

- Excluding games played at neutral venues, this is the first fixture in the competition's history to see the opening four meetings all won by the visiting team.
- United have now lost more of their eight home games in all competitions this season (4) than they did in 28 matches at Old Trafford last season (3).
- Fred was the 49th different Brazilian player to receive a Champions League red card. Only France has had more players sent off in the competition's history (55).
- Since his Champions League debut in 2013, only Cristiano Ronaldo (79), Robert Lewandowski (60) and Lionel Messi (59) have more goals in the competition than Neymar (38).
- Rashford has scored more goals in five Champions League games this season (6) than he managed in 18 appearances in the competition across his two previous campaigns (5).

What's next?  

United will aim to secure a fourth straight Premier League victory when they take on West Ham – and their former manager David Moyes – on Saturday, while PSG visit Montpellier.