Champions League: with a Mbappé on fire, PSG slaps FC Barcelona
Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick with PSG against FC Barcelona, at Camp Nou, on February 16, 2021. © AP - Joan Monfort
Text by: Nicolas Bamba Follow
6 min
The first leg of the round of 16 of the Champions League between FC Barcelona and PSG saw the Parisians sign a splendid victory at Camp Nou on Tuesday, February 16.
The champions of France, although deprived of Neymar and Angel Di Maria, won brilliantly (4-1) thanks in particular to a hat-trick signed Kylian Mbappé.
Mass is not said, but Paris has taken a big step towards qualification.
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As we meet again, four years later ... In March 2017, already in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League, Barça sent Paris to hell with
the famous "remountada"
, this incredible 6-1 victory which eliminated the Parisians, yet 4-0 winners in the first leg.
Since then, the two clubs have become enemies, even more when the Rouge et Bleu snatched the Neymar gem from the Catalans in August 2017.
Four years later, the draw puts the French champion and the Spanish juggernaut face to face, again in the round of 16.
The first leg, this Tuesday, February 16, was played without a spectator at Camp Nou, the Covid-19 pandemic requires.
And while waiting for the return match at the Parc des Princes (March 10), Paris has taken a very clear advantage thanks to their resounding victory acquired in Catalonia (4-1).
𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇, 𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇!
🤩🔴🔵
See you at the Park on March 🔟!
⚡️ # UCL |
#FCBPSG pic.twitter.com/C1H13UsTeW
- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) February 16, 2021
Messi opens the scoring before the flood
PSG approached this private shock of two of its best weapons: Angel Di Maria and of course Neymar, injured.
Two significant absentees for such a meeting then.
What to put a little more waiting on the shoulders of Mbappé, expected more than ever as the decisive player on the Parisian side ...
Lionel Messi
, he was present on the Barça side, however.
And if his name circulates in the rumors of transfer to the side of Paris, the Argentinian is still Catalan.
His future remains uncertain - his contract with Barcelona ends in June - but the six-time Ballon d'Or remains true to its habits: scoring, scoring, scoring again.
When the opportunity presented itself to him in the first half, the Barcelona captain did not shake.
Layvin Kurzawa involuntarily hooked Frenkie de Jong into the box, and Leo Messi opened the scoring forcefully from the penalty spot (27th), while the discussions had been balanced until then.
A simple hitch, in fact, in the Parisians' plan tonight.
Mbappé submits Barça
At fault on the opening scoring, Layvin Kurzawa redeemed himself just behind.
On a cross from Marquinhos, the side handed a touch of ball for Marco Verratti in the area.
The Italian, from the outside of the foot, did the same for Kylian Mbappé in the box.
And the world champion, too fast for the defense, got rid of his opponents before shooting Marc-André ter Stegen up close (32nd).
Dominator in the first act, PSG drove home the point after the break.
By dint of bending, Barça broke: Alessandro Florenzi escaped to the right, Gerard Pique could only push back his center, and Kylian Mbappé, again, emerged to take back victoriously this ball which was trailing (65th).
And the best was yet to come.
🔴🔵 Kylian Mbappé = hat-trick hero!
⚽️⚽️⚽️ # UCL pic.twitter.com/iC391D5TKA
- UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 16, 2021
Barcelona, led 1-2 and helpless, gave in a third time a few minutes later.
Marc-André ter Stegen could not do anything on the head of Moïse Kean, receiving a free kick from Leandro Paredes (70th).
The Blaugrana, stunned, failed to recover.
Worse, they drank the chalice to the dregs: on a counter-attack led by Julian Draxler, Kylian Mbappé found himself in an ideal position and rolled up a perfect ball to spice up the bill and sign a resounding treble (85th ).
Only the Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko had achieved such a feat before him at Camp Nou.
With this victory gleaned with three goals in Catalonia, is Paris qualified?
No.
No because mathematically, the case is not folded.
And no, because PSG paid dearly enough for its lessons in 2017 against Barça and in 2019
against Manchester United
.
There are still 90 minutes to play at the Parc des Princes, and they should not be missed.
"
This match is magnificent, but we won nothing
," recalled Kylian Mbappé, the man of the meeting, at the microphone of RMC Sport.
❤️ 𝗞𝗬𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡 💙
What an evening!
🤩 pic.twitter.com/JRdhs0xCdW
- Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) February 16, 2021
In the other match of the evening, the English Liverpool achieved an excellent operation by winning in Germany against RB Leipzig (2-0).
The English champions won thanks to goals from Egyptian Mohamed Salah and Senegalese Sadio Mané.
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