In eleven "clasico", "Kyky" from Bondy has already scored seven goals, joint second top scorer of the big French poster, behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic (11 goals) and alongside Edinson Cavani.

The triple scorer in the world final can justly match the Uruguayan as PSG's top scorer.

Cavani is at 200, Mbappé at 198, and the grandiose scene of a volcanic Velodrome befitting his voracity as a scorer and record holder.

The Parisian star is regaining its brilliance just when his club is going to play a large part of its season, in Bavaria, where we have to go back to the defeat of the first leg against Bayern Munich (1-0).

Held back by an injury to the left thigh, Mbappé worked hard to heal faster, trim a week of recovery and return for the last half hour of the 1/8 final first leg of C1.

Absent from the two lost clasicos

His entry alone reinvigorated an amorphous team against Bayern.

The N.7 created chances and even thought to equalize, before his goal was canceled for a millimeter offside from his passer, Nuno Mendes.

Striker Kylian Mbappe at PSG public training at the Parc des Princes on February 24, 2023 in Paris © FRANCK FIFE / AFP

He played the next match in full, even if he was not yet at 100%, and this time snatched the equalizer three minutes from the end of regulation time against Lille, before Lionel Messi offered the victory (4-3) at the last second.

The Argentinian genius did everything on his own on the winning goal, but the Frenchman's rage to win had ignited the Park and his teammates.

"The end of the match against Bayern and the one against Lille gave us a lot of hope," said Christophe Galtier.

Against OM, "with the presence of Kylian, there will be depth", adds the Parisian coach.

"But if it's just him, it will be easier to control. Other players will have to project themselves more freely and with more determination."

Symbol of his importance, since his arrival in the summer of 2017, the only two classics that PSG have lost were in his absence... On September 13, 2020, during OM's first victory in twenty confrontations (1-0), Mbappé was not at the Parc des Princes, affected by the Covid.

He has often martyred OM

PSG striker Kylian Mbappe after scoring against Lille at the Parc des Princes on February 18, 2023 in Paris © FRANCK FIFE / AFP / Archives

During the defeat in the Coupe de France on February 8 (2-1), he was simmering his return, and his grinta missed PSG, dominated in the game and in envy as never before by Marseille in the past eleven years.

Otherwise, Mbappé has often martyred OM.

Apart from a failed first clasico on October 22, 2017, where Cavani snatched a 2-2 draw at the last second, he was decisive several times.

His best remains PSG-OM on October 27 (4-0), where he scored twice (like Mauro Icardi).

In the first leg this season in L1, he did not score but offered the decisive pass to Neymar (1-0), just before the break.

this time the Brazilian is not there, he is nursing his right ankle, maintaining the slim hope of playing the return to Munich on March 8.

About "Ney", Mbappé also returned to the story of his exit about "eating well and sleeping well", followed a few hours later by photos of Neymar in a poker evening or seated at a fast food restaurant and which had sparked controversy.

"It was not a spade, we need everything except spades right now. This is advice for everyone," Mbappé replied to the next match.

This leadership role is best spoken of by his opponents, such as Italian defender Leonardo Bonucci.

"Kylian is a stratospheric player" underlines the captain of Juventus Turin.

"He has all the potential to become the best in the world. When you see his mentality on the pitch or when he speaks, you can feel his desire to progress".

And revise his classics.

© 2023 AFP