Mbappe Destroys Percy Tau’s Brugge In UCL
Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to score a hat trick as Paris Saint-Germain extended its perfect record in Group A of the Champions League with a 5-0 win at Percy Tau’s Club Brugge on Tuesday.
It was historic night for Mbappe as he became the 4th ever player to record a Uefa Champions League hat-trick off the bench.
The mercurial forward at 20 years 306 days also became the youngest player to score 15 goals in Uefa Champions League beating the record set by Messi (21years 289 days).
The World Cup winner, who has only started four games this season because of thigh and hamstring injuries, netted three times in the space of 20 minutes.
“I have to fight to keep my place. It’s been two months since I played a full game. It feels good to come back. My injury is over. I’m 100%,” the 20-year-old said after claiming the match ball.
The win took PSG to nine points from three matches and gave them a five-point lead over second-place Real Madrid and left them on the cusp of qualification for the next phase.
Mauro Icardi put PSG into a seventh minute lead but it was only after World Cup winner Mbappe, working his way back after a hamstring injury, came on early in the second half that they clicked into gear.
Mbappe came on shortly after halftime and within nine minutes had PSG further ahead.
His quick footwork set up Di Maria for a square pass that Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet got a hand to, serving only to pop it up in the air for a quick-thinking Mbappe to head back over him and into the net.
Mbappe then set up the third for Icardi two minutes later after a defensive slip.
Di Maria was again the provider as Mbappe made it 4-0 in the 79th minute and then completed his hat-trick four minutes later.
On both occasions it was the pace of the 20-year-old in carving his way past the Brugge defence and his deft finishing that underlined his prowess.
Club Brugge have two points from their three group games and go to Paris for their next Champions League match on November 6.
Coach Thomas Tuchel’s side now need only a point from their Group A home match against Bruges in November to secure their passage.
Percy Tau played the full 90 minutes but his impact in the game was restricted by an on-fire PSG side.
By Gerald Dandah
