Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe gave Real Madrid an up close and personal look at what could very well be their next Galactico. The PSG superstar turned in a spectacular performance against his rumoured future club, which he capped off with a sensational stoppage-time winner to give the Parisians a crucial 1-0 victory in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie.
Mbappe and PSG absolutely dominated a surprisingly defensive Real Madrid throughout the match but were unable to get the breakthrough. Lionel Messi missed a penalty that could have put the Parisians ahead.
But Mbappe finally came to his team’s rescue by scoring a brilliant goal that will no doubt be among the top Champions League 2022 highlights.
Read on as SBOTOP recaps another spectacular Champions League performance from Mbappe.
Highlights of the game
The big Champions League 2022 news before kick-off was that star Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema was fit to start after missing the last few games with a hamstring injury. His absence from the side has led to a mini-slump for the Spanish giants.
Meanwhile, Neymar only started on the PSG bench as Messi continued to play through the centre, with Mbappe and Angel Di Maria on the flanks.
And it was Mbappe and Di Maria who were involved in the first real chance of the match. After some nifty dribbling down the left wing, Mbappe sent in a dangerous cross to Di Maria, whose first-time shot flew well off target.
Mbappe caused Madrid’s backline problems once again on 17 minutes as he blew by Dani Carvajal to latch onto a terrific Messi through ball, but Thibaut Courtois did brilliantly to deny the Frenchman.
PSG continued to pile on the pressure throughout the first half, but they struggled to create any clear-cut chance on goal.
As for Real Madrid, it took them until first-half stoppage time to register their first shot, which came from a Casemiro header that did not trouble PSG’s Gigi Donnarumma.
PSG came out with renewed purpose in the second half, and Mbappe very nearly gave them the lead five minutes after the break. But again, Courtois produced a top-class save and parried Mbappe’s powerful shot away.
Toni Kroos, who was very busy on the defensive side of the ball, came closest to scoring for Real with a long-range shot that sailed just over the bar.
But on the hour mark, PSG were given a great opportunity to take the lead as they were awarded a penalty. Unsurprisingly, Mbappe won the penalty as he once again flew past Carvajal, who brought the Frenchman down.
Reigning Ballon d’Or Messi stepped up to take the spot-kick, but the Argentine was denied by Courtois, who guessed right and got down to his left to make the stop.
Neymar came on with just under 20 minutes left as PSG continued their tireless search for that crucial goal. Neymar got his big chance to get that goal four minutes from time after he and Messi combined beautifully, but the Brazilian could not find the finish past Courtois.
Real Madrid were mere seconds away from holding on for a draw, but Mbappe and PSG would not be denied. And in the fourth minute of stoppage time, they got the goal they fully deserved.
Once more, the magnificent Mbappe slipped his way past two Real Madrid defenders, then evaded a third to slide the ball in between the legs of Courtois.
The final whistle sounded amid cheers from the Paris faithful, who witnessed a wonderful moment of magic from Kylian Mbappe that might just be the major turning point in this tie.
Key statistics
The final statistics bear out just how dominant PSG were. They controlled 57 per cent of possession and had a whopping 21-3 edge in terms of total shots, with Real Madrid recording zero shots on target.
Curiously, Real Madrid also failed to register a single shot on target in their last trip to Paris back in 2019, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat.
Despite his missed penalty, Messi had a lively game as he got eight of PSG’s shots, while Mbappe had seven of his own. The two also had nine of the team’s 18 dribbles.
With his goal, Mbappe has now been directly involved in nine PSG goals (five goals, four assists) in seven Champions League games this season.
What’s next?
It’s back to domestic duty for the two clubs before meeting back at the Bernabeu in Madrid for the second leg in a fortnight’s time.
The Champions League 2022 odds will favour the French champions to go through after their first-leg win, but with just a one-goal deficit to overcome, don’t count Real out just yet.
Carlo Ancelotti will have to significantly change his tactics after his overly defensive approach in the first leg failed. As for Mauricio Pochettino, this tie is perfectly poised for PSG to play more on the counter, which is where Mbappe shines.
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