Mbappe's brace secures PSG's passage into the UCL quarter finals

Mbappe put the substitution controversy behind him with an impressive display in the 2nd Leg of the Champions League Round of 16 against Real Sociedad. Picking up from where he left off in the 2-0 clash at the Parc des Princes, Mbappe showed his class from the very start of the game, dancing across La Real defenders and creating opening spaces and chances for his teammates. It took PSG and Kylian Mbappe just 15 minutes to open the scoring at the Reale Arena. Mbappe received a long ball from Ousmane Dembele, surged into the box, and opened up his footing while shifting the ball out of his feet again, creating just enough space to fire a curling effort into the far corner.
Mbappé put the score beyond La Real's reach when he scored his second of the night in the 56th minute of the second half. After seizing a through ball from Kang-In Lee, he burst out at full speed, navigating through the box and expertly striking the ball past the goalkeeper at his near post. Mikel Merino eventually found the net to give Real Sociedad a consolation goal with a deflected strike in the 89th minute. However, it proved too little to halt PSG's advancement to the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-1 victory on aggregate, marking their return to this stage after three years.
Mbappe addresses the issue with Luis Enrique.
After weeks of rumors about Kylian Mbappe’s possible feud with Spanish head coach Luis Enrique, He finally addressed the issue after an impressive individual performance in their UCL win against Real Sociedad in the Reale Arena at San Sebastian.
The French Captain said he has "no problems" with manager Luis Enrique after playing the full 90 minutes for Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday for the first time since February 14. He scored both goals to edge Les Parisiens a 4-1 victory on aggregate to make it into the next round.
Mbappe was substituted at halftime during PSG's goalless draw against his former club Monaco last Friday, following a similar substitution after 65 minutes in their 1-1 draw against Rennes the previous week. Mbappé had also entered the game to seal the win as a substitute in a 2-0 victory over Nantes last month.
Last month, the 25-year-old informed the French club of his intention to depart when his contract runs out at the end of the season to join Real Madrid as a free agent. According to multiple reports, Mbappe has agreed on a 5-year deal to join the Spanish club with Los Blancos President Florentino Pérez after a three-year chase. The club already has the player's verbal confirmation, and an official agreement will soon be in place between the two parties. Nonetheless, he emphasized that his decision was not driven by any discord with Luis Enrique, as evidenced by their warm embrace at full-time in the Reale Arena.
While speaking to Canal Plus on Tuesday, Mbappe said: "I always want to play in the Champions League - it is a very important competition. I could never be a player who hides, 'My relationship with the coach is good. There is no problem even if people might think that there is. I have many issues but the coach is not one of them.”
According to ESPN reports, the player and coach engaged in discussions following Mbappé's early substitutions in his last two matches despite his impressive record of 34 goals in 34 games this season. The forward sought a conversation with Luis Enrique to address his discontent at being substituted and benched during matches and the rising tensions between them. Luis Enrique reassured his talisman that his substitutions weren't personal and unrelated to his decision to depart the club but rather expressed concerns about Mbappé's fitness and aimed to preserve him for important upcoming matches.
Reporting to Canal Plus after the match, Luis Enrique said: “Kylian will score 50 goals, make 25 assists with any coach, any team. 'Apparently, his immediate future won't be here so we'll have to test other solutions.”
Luis Enrique and Kylian Mbappé must maintain a positive relationship despite the circumstances that surround both parties. The victory against Real Sociedad is an example of how much success can be achieved when there is less tension and a strong relationship within the team. PSG players have the talent and are well-determined to clinch both domestic titles and the UEFA Champions League title this season.
Despite losing four points in their recent fixtures, PSG maintains a comfortable lead of 12 points over Brest in the Ligue 1.
PSG’s Champions League Chase
PSG have never won the Champions League. They are again on the course to add a 12th Ligue 1 victory in 2024, but the Champions League remains their ultimate goal. Last year’s loss to Bayern made it their 15th time in the competition without winning. It includes back-to-back participation in the previous 11 UCL competitions. Only Arsenal has played and won more matches in the competition without winning it.
PSG's closest brush with Champions League glory was in the 2019/20 campaign when they reached the final. However, they were defeated 1-0 by Bayern Munich in Lisbon, with the decisive goal coming from Kingsley Coman, a former PSG player. They have since reached two semi-finals, five quarter-finals (including the 2024 campaign), and five Round of 16.
Les Parisiens hopes to win a Champions League trophy is now an Open secret. They constantly secure the signatures of the best talents across Europe to fulfill their dream of a UCL title. Lionel Messi, Neymar, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, David Beckham, Angel Di Maria, Ronaldinho, and Kylian Mbappe are a few names recruited to the French outfit in a similar pursuit. Hopefully, Luis Enrique’s current team does enough to edge the French champions to glory this time.
PSG UPCOMING FIXTURES
Montpellier vs. Paris Saint-Germain (19:45 Sunday 17th March, French Ligue 1)
Marseille vs. Paris Saint-Germain (19:45 Sunday 31st March, French Ligue 1)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Clermont (14:00 Sunday 7th April, French Ligue 1)
Lorient vs. Paris Saint-Germain (14:00 Sunday 14th April, French Ligue 1)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Lyon (14:00 Sunday 21st April, French Ligue 1)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Le Havre (14:00 Sunday 28th April, French Ligue 1 )
Nice vs. Paris Saint-Germain (14:00 Friday 3rd May, French Ligue 1)
Paris Saint-Germain vs. Toulouse (20:00 Saturday 11th May French Ligue 1)
The UEFA Champions League finals draw (both quarter-finals and semi-finals) will take place on Friday, March 15, 2024, at the UEFA Headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, mapping out PSG’s potential road to the finals at Wembley, Luiz Enrique’s team still have a long road ahead of them in their quest to be victorious in both the League 1 and Coupe de France competitions.
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As Les Parisiens prepares for their upcoming fixtures, anticipation is mixed with concerns regarding the club’s future, particularly with the departure of Kylian Mbappe at the end of the season. Replacing such talent would be a challenging but crucial step to keep the Club afloat for challenges in the coming seasons. The French Champions have already begun scouting for possible replacements.