Kylian Mbappe's Hat-Trick Leads PSG to 4-1 Victory over Barcelona in Champions League
Mbappe Becomes Third Player to Score Hat-Trick against Barcelona in UCL
Paris Saint-Germain Now Favorites to Advance to Quarterfinals
Kylian Mbappe starred for Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, scoring a hat-trick to lead his team to a 4-1 victory over Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 tie. The 22-year-old forward became only the third player to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in the Champions League, after Faustino Asprilla and Andriy Shevchenko.
PSG were without Neymar for the match, but Mbappe stepped up in his absence to put in a match-winning performance. The French international opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a stunning solo effort, before adding two more goals in the second half to complete his hat-trick.
Moise Kean added a fourth goal for PSG in the 70th minute, while Lionel Messi scored a consolation goal for Barcelona in the 87th minute. The result leaves PSG in a strong position to reach the quarterfinals, as they will take a three-goal advantage into the second leg at the Parc des Princes on March 10.
The victory was also a major boost for PSG's manager, Mauricio Pochettino, who has been under pressure in recent weeks. The Argentine coach will now be hoping that his team can build on this performance and challenge for the Champions League title this season.
Here are some of the key statistics from the match:
- Mbappe became the first PSG player to score a hat-trick in the Champions League since Zlatan Ibrahimovic in 2013.
- Mbappe is now the joint-leading scorer in the Champions League this season, with eight goals.
- Barcelona have now conceded nine goals in their last three Champions League matches.
- PSG have won their last four matches in all competitions.
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