Mbappe performance against Madrid shows why he’s leaving PSG
Cameron Smith
- 15 Feb 2022 22:26 GMT
- 4 min read
Kylian Mbappe grabbed the headlines once again with a last minute winner to give Paris Saint-Germain the advantage in their last-16 Champions League tie against Real Madrid.
With the game ticking into its final 60 seconds, the Frenchman picked up the ball on the left flank, drove in between Lucas Vazquez and slide the ball past Thibaut Courtois into the far corner to give PSG a vital lead heading into the second-leg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
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The tie looked set to be heading for a stalemate following a dogged 90 minute display by a fairly poor Real Madrid side who were only heading for a draw until Mbappe's winner thanks to Thibaut Courtois keeping out Lionel Messi's penalty in the second-half.
But, as has become commonplace in recent times at PSG, it was Mbappe who saved the day once more.
In a game in which Messi was unable to deliver, despite his prowess in the Champions League, and big games in general, it was Mbappe who stepped up.
Nobody on the pitch could better the Frenchman's four completed dribbles or his four shots on target, and he simply ran Real Madrid's defence ragged. His one vs one ability has been frighteningly good for a while now, and it was on full display at the Parc des Princes; the way he shifts his body, and could slow down before speeding up without a moment's warning makes him so hard to defend against, and it's how he scored the winner.
PSG's Standout Man All Season
That's now 21 goals in all competitions for Mbappe this term - the next best in the PSG squad is Messi on just seven. The dynamic French superstar is carrying this PSG team, alongside Marco Verratti in midfield, to the Ligue 1 crown, and potentially Champions League glory.
His performances have been nothing short of extraordinary, and he deserves all the praise he's received for his display against Madrid.
Even with Messi's arrival, Mbappe is far and away PSG's best player, and if they can't deliver him a Champions League triumph he may call it quits. His contract at the club expires in the summer, and Real Madrid themselves, the team whose hearts he crushed in the first-leg of the last-16, are the run-away favourites.
PSG didn't really beat Madrid - Mbappe did, and PSG's reliance on the Frenchman may prove to him that he doesn't need to club, and moving to Madrid could be the perfect next step; although he may get a few dirty looks from the Real Madrid squad if he does join following the clinic he put on and last minute winner he scored at the Parc des Princes.
The winner Mbappe scored against Madrid is by no means the first time he's bailed PSG out of a sticky situation this season. In fact, they simply wouldn't be on course to avenge Lille's title win last season without him. He has scored five goals in victories with a one-goal margin this term, including a 90th minute winner against Rennes on 11 February; that's what makes this winner against Madrid even more special - it's the second time in less than a week he's scored an injury time winner. He's as clutch as they come, and if PSG want to keep him, the rest of the squad needs to step up.
Madrid will also need to improve, but that's his dream destination, and it seems as though he could be wearing the famous white shirt by the time the 2022/23 season begins.
