Champions League

KYLIAN MBAPPE’S breathtaking display against Barcelona has stunned the footballing world after he scored a hat-trick at the Nou Camp.
The 22-year-old ran riot in Catalonia on Tuesday night as Paris Saint-Germain beat the Blaugrana 4-1 in the Champions League Round of 16 first leg.

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe stole the show against Barcelona on Tuesday nightCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

He became the first visiting player since Andriy Shevchenko in 1997 to score three times at Barcelona.
His performance earned him a rare nine out of ten in French newspaper L’Equipe in what was Mbappe’s first time competing against the LaLiga outfit.
And his incredible outing left players and pundits taken aback, with his team-mate Neymar tweeting: “Mbappe PLAYING A LOT ….. my boy’s HAT-TRICK.”
Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford posted on social media: “What a performance @KMbappe.”

His England international team-mate Jadon Sancho simply stated: “Big player! @KMbappe.”
BT Sport pundit Gary Lineker declared: “A hat-trick from @KMbappe. We may be witnessing the changing of the guard.”
And it was a statement shared by his colleague Rio Ferdinand, who insisted the World Cup winner will ‘take the throne’ from Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
He said: “Mbappe is on his own – out of young players he’s on his own. People forget he’s 22 years old.

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World Cup winner Mbappe was given a nine out of ten by L’Equipe
“Given he’s won the World Cup, what he’s done in the French league and in the Champions League, he’s been immense.
“I just feel that he’s the guy now that’s going to take the throne, take the crown, he’s standing alone at the moment. It’s for everybody to catch up to him now.
“This guy is going to take over the throne from Messi and Ronaldo when they’re done with it.”
Joe Cole was also in agreement with the Red Devils legend, as he insisted Mbappe is currently the best player in the world.
He stated: “[Mbappe] is the best player in the world, at the moment. The influence he has on his team, the way he can just run away from players.
“His link-up play, his work-rate off the ball… he is the alpha dog in football at the moment.”
And Arsene Wenger has urged PSG to focus on keeping Mbappe at the club instead of making a move to sign Messi.
He told beIN SPORTS: “Mbappe is free in 2022. If he does not extend in 2021 PSG has to sell Mbappe or he will be completely free in 2022.

Mbappe has more goal involvements than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at 22 in the Champions League

“And they have to extend Neymar and Mbappe together. And it looks like that will be financially very very expensive. And the question PSG has to answer, can they convince the two?
“And do they have the money to do it? Because they need to sign the two together.
“Messi demands a huge investment and I would say PSG today is more focussed on keeping their two best players and investing all the money they have into their two best players.
“Mbappe is 22 maybe the future best player in the world so when you have the next two best players in the world, keep them.”

PSG star Kylian Mbappe collects the match ball after amazing hat-trick at Barcelona More

NEYMAR is facing a two-game ban for slamming the penalty decision given to Barcelona on Tuesday night.
The Brazilian star could be made to explain his tweets during the 4-1 win for his PSG side.

Neymar slammed Barcelona’s penalty in their 4-1 defeat by PSG

Layvin Kurzawa was adjudged to have tripped up Frenkie De JongCredit: Reuters

And Uefa could act with a ban of up to two games for the 29-year-old.
The UEFA disciplinary code stops players from ‘insults or other conduct that violates the basic rules of conduct’.
Neymar was given a three-game ban in March 2019 for insulting match officials, but it was reduced to two by CAS.
He missed Tuesday’s thrilling Champions League last 16 first-leg tie through injury.

But Neymar was active on Twitter after Frenkie de Jong controversially won a penalty for Barcelona in the 27th minute.
It appeared the Dutchman may have just tripped over his own legs, but that didn’t stop the ref from awarding a penalty against Layvin Kurzawa.
A VAR review sided with the match official.
Neymar tweeted: “Joke that penalty,” accompanied by laughing emojis.

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Kylian Mbappe scored a brilliant hat-trick at the Nou CampCredit: Icon Sport – Getty
And former Nou Camp pal Lionel Messi stepped up to calmly put Barca 1-0 up.
The tweet was quickly spotted by fans, who shared it on social media.
But it wasn’t live for long, with Neymar deleting it.
However, it was PSG who had the last laugh in Catalonia.
Kylian Mbappe scored a magnificent hat-trick as the French side ran out 4-1 winners.

Neymar missed the win through injuryCredit: Reuters
The 22-year-old striker’s performance was lauded by BT Sport pundits Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand.
Ex-Man Utd defender Ferdinand said: “Mbappe is on his own – out of young players he’s on his own. People forget he’s 22 years old.
“Given he’s won the World Cup, what he’s done in the French league and in the Champions League, he’s been immense.
“I just feel that he’s the guy now that’s going to take the throne, take the crown, he’s standing alone at the moment. It’s for everybody to catch up to him now.
“This guy is going to take over the throne from Messi and Ronaldo when they’re done with it.”

And former Chelsea midfielder Cole said: “[Mbappe] is the best player in the world, at the moment.
“The influence he has on his team, the way he can just run away from players.
“His link-up play, his work-rate off the ball… he is the alpha dog in football at the moment.
“The top player in my opinion – maybe Ronaldo still. But as young players go, if you want to build a team, go and get Kylian Mbappe.”

Mauricio Pochettino praises Mbappe for scoring three as PSG outclass Barcelona 4-1 More

ARSENE WENGER reckons Liverpool lack midfield aggression with Thiago in the team.
And the former Gunners boss reckons signing the ‘technical’ Spanish star has created a problem for Jurgen Klopp.

Liverpool have lost midfield aggression by signing Thiago, Arsene Wenger reckonsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

The former Gunners boss thinks Jurgen Klopp has a problem in midfieldCredit: Getty – Pool

Thiago joined from Bayern Munich on a free transfer last summer and has endured a rocky start to Anfield life.
He played just twice before Christmas due to injury and his return to fitness has coincided with an alarming slide for the Reds.
Klopp’s men have fallen from top of the Premier League at Christmas to sixth and out of the title race.
Liverpool have also lost the likes of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson from midfield with the pair covering at centre-back.

And, speaking on BeIN Sports’ coverage of the Champions League, Wenger said the Reds have a problem in midfield.
The ex-Arsenal boss said: “Thiago Alcantara, for me, shows a problem for a manager.
“Liverpool were very hungry and aggressive in midfield, when you’re a manager you think you want to make the team better and you take a technical player.
“When you take a technical player, you lose the aggression in midfield and you destroy a little bit the strength in midfield that Liverpool had before.

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“They have certainly less capacity today to win the ball back and they suffer a little bit more. Sometimes when you want to improve the team, you take something away from it.”
Former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann also said recently that Thiago might not be the right fit for Liverpool.
Hamann told talkSPORT: “”He slows things down and doesn’t really play the way Liverpool play.

“Liverpool in the past have had hard-working midfielders, they were not as skilful as Thiago, but they have the ball to Mane and Salah early.
“If you get the ball early on the wing, and theses guys can run at players they are very hard to stop.”
The Reds won 2-0 against Leipzig on Tuesday night – with Thiago in the starting XI – to keep their hopes of winning the Champions League on track.
They face Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday night looking to end a run of three straight Prem defeats.

Dietmar Hamann says he isn’t sure if Thiago’s the right fit at Liverpool More

KYLIAN MBAPPE was given a rare nine out of ten for his Nou Camp masterclass by L’Equipe last night.
The respected French outlet are notoriously hard to please when it comes to player ratings.

Kylian Mbappe was the star of the show for PSG at the Nou CampCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

Kylian Mbappe was given a nine out of ten by L’EquipeCredit: L’EQUIPE

But they reserved the special mark for Mbappe after his magnificent hat-trick in PSG’s 4-1 win at Barcelona.
The 22-year-old fired the French champions into a commanding first-leg lead in their last-16 tie.
And his performance earned the top mark of the night, but not quite a perfect ten.
That mark has only been given out 12 times in L’Equipe’s history, with the most recent being to Serge Gnabry for Bayern Munich in their 7-2 win at Tottenham in 2019.

Mbappe also featured on the front pages of Spanish sports papers such as AS, Marca and Sport after his Nou Camp heroics.
PSG’s players averaged 6.9 in their L’Equipe ratings while Barcelona’s beaten stars scored just 3.5.
Marco Verratti and Marquinhos scored eight out of ten for the visitors with goalscorer Moise Kean one of four players given a seven.
Idrissa Gueye – who was booked then hooked at half time – was PSG’s lowest scorer of the night with five out out ten.

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Kylian Mbappe was on the front page of L’Equipe

Spanish papers such as AS also lauded the PSG superstar

And Marca also featured the forward on their front page

As did another Spanish publication Sport
But no Barcelona players were able to better that mark on a night to forget for them.
Lionel Messi and Marc Andre Ter Stegen scored five while three players (Jordi Alba, Gerard Pique and Frenkie De Jong) were given a four.
Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele were handed a three, but the worst performer of the night was right-back Sergino Dest with just two.
BT Sport pundits Joe Cole and Rio Ferdinand also lauded Kylian Mbappe’s stunning performance.
Ex-Man Utd defender Ferdinand said: “Mbappe is on his own – out of young players he’s on his own. People forget he’s 22 years old.
“Given he’s won the World Cup, what he’s done in the French league and in the Champions League, he’s been immense.
“I just feel that he’s the guy now that’s going to take the throne, take the crown, he’s standing alone at the moment. It’s for everybody to catch up to him now.
“This guy is going to take over the throne from Messi and Ronaldo when they’re done with it.”

And former Chelsea midfielder Cole said: “[Mbappe] is the best player in the world, at the moment.
“The influence he has on his team, the way he can just run away from players.
“His link-up play, his work-rate off the ball… he is the alpha dog in football at the moment.
“The top player in my opinion – maybe Ronaldo still. But as young players go, if you want to build a team, go and get Kylian Mbappe.”

PSG star Kylian Mbappe collects the match ball after amazing hat-trick at Barcelona More

KYLIAN MBAPPE was heralded as Lionel Messi’s successor-in-waiting after netting a breathtaking hat-trick in the Argentine genius’ own backyard.
Barcelona took the lead through Messi’s penalty but were then hammered by Mbappe’s magnificent treble and a header from Everton outcast Moise Kean.

Kylian Mbappe scored a magnificent hat-trick for PSG at the Nou CampCredit: Icon Sport – Getty

The French striker outshone Lionel Messi in the Champions League showdownCredit: AP:Associated Press

And Mbappe was tipped to take Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s throne by BT Sport pundit Rio Ferdinand after a thumping 4-1 win at the Nou Camp.
The ex-Man Utd defender said: “Mbappe is on his own – out of young players he’s on his own. People forget he’s 22 years old.
“Given he’s won the World Cup, what he’s done in the French league and in the Champions League, he’s been immense.
“I just feel that he’s the guy now that’s going to take the throne, take the crown, he’s standing alone at the moment. It’s for everybody to catch up to him now.

“This guy is going to take over the throne from Messi and Ronaldo when they’re done with it.”
It certainly seemed like a changing of the guard at the top of world football.
Mbappe’s French compatriot and Barca star Antoine Griezmann said: “Kylian Mbappe had a great night.
“PSG has a great star for the future, who will be at the level of Leo Messi or Cristian Ronaldo.”

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Rio Ferdinand said Kylian Mbappe can ‘take the throne’ of Messi and RonaldoCredit: BT Sport
Mbappe became the first player to score a Champions League hat-trick at the Nou Camp since Andriy Shevchenko did it for Dynamo Kiev in 1997.
His first was a close-range blast after dancing round Clement Lenglet, his second a shot on the rebound and his third a sublime curling effort.
But his all-round display was Messi-esque in the way he tormented Barca – with pundit Owen Hargreaves likening the World Cup winner to the Brazilian Ronaldo.
Mbappe hailed Mauricio Pochettino for his influence since taking the reins at Paris Saint-Germain, who look a good bet to win the competition after finishing runners-up under Thomas Tuchel last term.
The superstar, 22, said: “The coach has done a great job since he joined. But he’s continued the work of Tuchel who started an extraordinary job, with the final.
“We’re starting to get better and better physically. We’re not yet in peak form, even if tonight was very good.
“We wanted to come here and win. We did that in style. Tonight was magnificent, but we haven’t won anything yet.”
It was a miserable night for Messi on what may well have been his last Champions League game at the Nou Camp in a Barca shirt.

PSG and Manchester City are keen to land him for free in the summer.
And the likelihood is he will take one of those options as Barca look nowhere near good enough to compete for major titles any time soon.
Boss Ronald Koeman added: “I could tell lies but the fact is that at 4-1 down from the home leg, there are very few chances of going through.
“The game has shown us that we lack things to be at the best level, especially at Champions League level.”

PSG star Kylian Mbappe collects the match ball after amazing hat-trick at Barcelona More