BARCELONA boss Ronald Koeman tried to motivate his players to stop Kylian Mbappe by hanging up his picture in the dressing room before their Champions League encounter, according to reports.
But his tactics backfired spectacularly.
With both Neymar and Angel Di Maria missing for Paris Saint-Germain, the rapid forward was the French team’s most dangerous threat at the Nou Camp.
According to L’Equipe, Koeman devised a master plan as he plotted to inspire Barcelona to victory.
They write how Mbappe became ‘public enemy No1’ by revealing an image of him before kick-off.
But if anything, Koeman’s plan spectacularly backfired after Mbappe scored a stunning hat-trick in a dramatic 4-1 first-leg win.
The forward then ensured he’d fire PSG into the quarter-finals when bagging a penalty in a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture.
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Mbappe will be hoping to continue his goalscoring form when his side take on German giants Bayern Munich in a mouth-watering contest on Wednesday evening.
It could be his final opportunity to lift the most prestigious prize in football with PSG with his future coming under constant speculation.
With his contract expiring next summer, PSG could be forced to flog their main asset or risk losing him for nothing.
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Reports suggest PSG could even be willing to accept a £102million offer.
Real Madrid are understood to be weighing up a move for the World Cup winner with boss Zinedine Zidane known to be a huge admirer of his French compatriot.
The former Monaco ace hinted that he could quit PSG following France’s three World Cup qualifiers over the international break.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
