Spain's brace in the second leg of the 2024 Champions League quarter-finals helped PSG striker Kylian Mbappe be compared by Marca newspaper as "poison" to Barca.
Mbappe has scored six goals in just four games against Barca in the Champions League, with a hat-trick at Camp Nou, one at the Parc des Princes in 2021, and a brace at the Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium on the evening of April 16. Barca are also Mbappe's favourite opponents in the competition with six goals, followed by Club Brugge with five.
Kylian Mbappe celebrates the final goal in PSG's 4-1 win over Barca, 6-4 on aggregate, second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals at the Olympic Lluis Companys stadium, Barcelona, Spain, on the evening of April 16, 2024. Photo: AFP
"Not the best player of the match, Mbappe is still poison for Barca and their fans," Marca wrote. "He has also surpassed the 40-goal mark in all competitions this season, after just 42 games. This is the third season the 26-year-old striker has surpassed this milestone."
UEFA's panel of experts chose former Barca striker Ousmane Dembele as the best player of the match, when he scored the first goal for the visitors in the second leg and then won a penalty for Mbappe to score to help PSG take a 5-4 lead. At the end of the match, captain Mbappe scored a close-range rebound to seal a 6-4 victory for the French representative, from a missed shot by Jules Kounde.
But according to Whoscored , Mbappe was the best player of the match with a score of 9.1, while Dembele was only second with 8.3. The Monaco-born striker shot seven times, created two chances for his teammates, and successfully took two players. Mbappe was also rated the highest, according to Sofascore , with a score of 8.6, while Dembele was rated 8.2.
Mundo Deportivo said Mbappe had "taken revenge on Barca in anger". They alluded to the French captain's lackluster performance in the first leg, failing to score and receiving much criticism. "The media will be more welcoming and gentle with Mbappe in this match", wrote the pro-Barca newspaper. "In Madrid, many people will applaud him".
On his way out of the stadium after the match, Mbappe raised his hand and said something to the Barca fans. Someone threw a water bottle from the stands near the 26-year-old star, but it missed him. The striker will leave PSG this summer due to the end of his contract, most likely to join Real Madrid - Barca's La Liga rivals. When asked if he would change his mind if PSG won the Champions League, he said: "No, no".
PSG will face Dortmund in the semi-finals, a rematch of this season's group stage, or the round of 16 in 2020. Mbappe also has a good record against the German club, with four goals in four games against the opponents. "Dortmund are strong but we will try to get to the final at Wembley," Mbappe added.
Hoang An
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