A last-gasp effort from Kylian Mbappé earned Paris Saint-Germain a well deserved win in the first leg or their Champions League Round of 16 match-up against Real Madrid.
The clash at the Parc des Princes was anything but the stellar show people were hoping for and seemed destined to end in a goalless stalemate. Mauricio Pochettino’s side, however, did much more than their Spanish opponents to find the back of the net – including grinding a penalty that Leo Messi failed to convert.
If this was a boxing match, PSG would have won by unanimous decision – as little as that would have mattered in a football game. But right when Italian referee Daniele Orsato was about to blow the final whistle, Neymar Jr. found Mbappé with a fantastic back-heel assist and the Frenchman won the final round of his battle with Thibaut Courtois, slotting the ball between the goalkeeper’s legs.
It was a deserved outcome. Real Madrid and Carlo Ancelotti failed to impress at the Parc des Princes and Gianluigi Donnarumma had a tranquil night out. Real started with a couple of offensive burst trying ignite Vinicius Junior but it was a short illusion as PSG quickly got command of the operations.
Mbappé, in particular, seemed eager to impress against his likely-future team. His incursions from the left channel were a constant threat to the Merengues. On the same side, shone the star of 19-year-old left back Nuno Mendes, who was overly effective both defensively and in the attack.
On 17 minutes, Leo Messi woke up and picked Mbappé with a brilliant long-range pass, sending the Frenchman one-on-one with Courtois for the first time. The Madrid shot-stopper was alert and pushed back the challenge.
That was the only real chance seen in a first half where the Parisiens had the bigger share when it came to ball possession but crashed into Carlo Ancelotti’s solidity. The visitors defended themselves well but never came close to threaten Gianluigi Donnarumma. It was not the stellar game that people were hoping for.
The trend didn’t change after the break. PSG hit the gas and Courtois had to save the day twice in the space of a few minutes, first deflecting a poisonous Mbappé shot from an Achraf Hakimi service, and then anticipating again the 2018 World Champion with a perfectly-timed exit on the edge of the box.
The Belgian goalkeeper managed to do even better around the one-hour mark as he denied no less than Messi from the spot. PSG were awarded a penalty for a Dani Carvajal foul on the unstoppable Mbappé but Courtois hypnotized the six-time Ballon d’Or to keep the score unchanged.
On 68 minutes, the time came to see Neymar Jr. back in action. The Brazilian phenomenon went close to break the deadlock with a shot from a tight angle before serving Mbappé the assist of the night when the clock was striking the 94th minute already.
But what about Real Madrid? Ancelotti’s side was mostly AWOL for the whole game. Plus, the Merengues saw starters Casemiro and Ferland Mendy getting booked. They will both miss the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu, making Madrid’s task even more difficult that it already became when Mbappé reaped the fruits of PSG’s domination.
MATCH SCORECARD
February 15, 2022 – UEFA Champions League 2021-22 Round of 16
PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN – REAL MADRID 1-0
SCORERS: 94′ Mbappé
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PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (4-3-3): Donnarumma; Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes; Pereira (87′ Gueye), Paredes, Verratti; Di Maria (73′ Neymar), Messi, Mbappé (Navas, Icardi, Dagba, Wijnaldum, Kurzawa, Herrera, Diallo, Draxler, Kehrer, Simons) Coach: Pochettino |
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REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Courtois; Carvajal (72′ Vazquez), Militao, Alaba, Mendy; Modric (82′ Valverde), Casemiro, Kroos; Asensio (72′ Rodrygo), Benzema (87′ Bale), Vinicius (82′ Hazard) (Lunin, Nacho, Vieira, Jovic, Ceballos, Isco, Camavinga) Coach: Ancelotti |
REFEREE: Orsato (Italy)
NOTES: Yellow Cards: Kimpembe, Pereira, Paredes, Verratti (P), Casemiro, Mendy, Militao, Rodrygo (R); Added Time: 1st Half 1′, 2nd Half 4′