The supersonic striker of the world champions put the rubber to crack the Austrian wall with a powerful and fast breakthrough, concluded with a saving mule strike (56th, 1-0).

All smiles, the 23-year-old Bondynois harangued the crowd at the Stade de France, addressed a dedication to his passer Olivier Giroud and mimed a photographer immortalizing this moment of grace, lulled by the cheers of his supporters.

"Kyky" is never better than when it's expected, and it was in more ways than one on Thursday.

The Austrians had tried to build an anti-Mbappé plan to muzzle their executioner of the first leg, when he came off the bench to avoid defeat (1-1).

"It is essential to leave him with as few balls as possible," Germany coach Ralf Rangwick pointed out on Wednesday.

"It's no secret that he's a key player, with huge qualities. When he's on a good day, it's almost impossible to defend against him," added captain David Alaba.

Mbappé was having a good day on Thursday, and he showed it in the second minute with a goal, canceled for an offside. He put his opponents to the torture following devastating accelerations, but did not manage to the image of his missed dribble in the 26th, or his unscrewed strike in the 91st, but we saw him running everywhere and trying, a lot.

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Mbappé is used to bursting the screen with his capital performances, his giant statistics (39 goals and 21 assists with PSG last season) and his weight outside the football pitch.

arm wrestling

By announcing on Monday his refusal to participate in a photo session with the Federation's partners in Clairefontaine, through a press release sent to AFP, the 2018 world champion caused shocks and got what he wanted: the revision, "as soon as possible" according to the FFF, of the agreement on the collective right to the image of the Blues, of which he disputes certain aspects.

The player had himself explained at the end of May that he wanted "a right of inspection over (his) name and what he is associated with", ensuring that he wanted to "manage" his career "as (he) sees fit, with ( her values".

It is a "simple, logical and legitimate request", vice-captain Raphaël Varane supported it on Wednesday, displaying a unity which was not yet apparent on the subject until now.

Mbappé's "camera" celebration was a nod to this standoff already partly won by the Parisian and his advisers, frustrated for many months by the immobility of the Federation.

From the height of his 23 years, the former Monegasque reinforced through this episode his status as an essential executive, in line with the growing or even dominant place taken in the Parisian locker room.

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His strong start to the season bodes well for coach Didier Deschamps, overwhelmed by a flood of injured two months before the World Cup in Qatar.

With PSG, Mbappé has already scored ten goals in nine matches in all competitions.

Last season, his record with the Blues reached … ten goals in nine matches.

Thursday, the new achievement against the Austrians propelled "KM" into the top-10 of the best scorers in the history of the Blues: his 28 goals place him at the height of Youri Djorkaeff.

Two more and he will join his illustrious elders Just Fontaine and Jean-Pierre Papin.

Mbappé has not finished winning the executives.

© 2022 AFP