Décines-Charpieu (France) (AFP)
A hat-trick for Kylian Mbappé and a penalty goal for Neymar: the striker duo of Paris SG was decisive in the semi-final of the Coupe de France against Lyon (5-1) on Wednesday and seems ready to respond face Dortmund in eight days at the Parc des Princes in the knockout round of the Champions League.
In the first leg, the German club won 2-1 and it was Neymar who scored for the Parisians.
But his performance had been below expectations and he had cited a lack of rhythm, criticizing the club for having spared him four games after a rib injury.
Wednesday, facing OL, complaining of the right foot, he wanted to go out just before half time before finally staying on the field. During the break, PSG offered a few scares: the German Julian Draxler started his warm-up and Parisian supporters began to fear a new defection of their star before a major European match.
But the Brazilian made a good comeback on the lawn for the second period.
His penalty, written with a lot of cool, is the 399th goal of his professional career and his 17th this season with Paris.
Even though he didn't deliver a very big game either, he did offer some acceleration in the first period.
And on one of them, after having overflowed Léo Dubois, he delivered a center of the left wing at the reception of which a resumption of volley of Edinson Cavani hit the post (43).
- Both warned -
And in the end, Neymar remained on the field until the end of the game not without having been warned for a slightly too severe charge on Bruno Guimaraes (85).
More fear than harm, therefore.
For his part, Mbappé had the merit of equalizing just three minutes after the opening of the score signed Martin Terrier, by prolonging with the foot a recovery of the head of Laywin Kurzawa after a corner played from the right wing (14 ).
After receiving a warning for a somewhat too virulent protest (65), he brought the score to 3-1 on an individual action while OL was reduced to ten after the exclusion of Fernando Marçal (64).
After having recovered the ball in his half of the field, he, on an acceleration of which he has the secret, deposited Bruno Guimaraes in the central circle, then Marcelo in the surface to beat Anthony Lopes closely with the right foot (70).
To end the demonstration, Neymar offered himself the luxury of allowing Mbappé to add a fifth goal for PSG from a center from the left on which the French international caught twice to slip the ball into the cage (90 + 2).
The Parisian striker, with this hat-trick, brings his total of goals to thirty for this season with PSG in all competitions.
The two players only have the match in Strasbourg at the end of the week and eight days to arrive against Dortmund in full possession of their means. But they already seem to be on the right track.
© 2020 AFP