2 years ago
'We are the kings of Europe,' read the huge banner that ran the length of the Santiago Bernabeu's south goal. Real Madrid certainly played like it to knock Paris Saint-Germain out of the Champions League, with Karim Benzema leading from the front.
Most people would agree that the French team has the best player in Europe right now in Kylian Mbappe. Benzema, on the other hand, now has 30 goals for the season and has a strong claim to the title.
His brilliant second-half hat-trick turned this game on its head, after young pretender Mbappe appeared to have put Carlo Ancelotti's side out of contention.
The old fox was left smiling in the end, and Mauricio Pochettino will almost certainly be fired sooner rather than later.
Lionel Messi's arrival was supposed to bring the club its first Champions League title, but as it stands, they will not even make the quarterfinals.
Much has been said about PSG's front three being an indulgence that the team's other eight players cannot afford. But when it works, it works so well that it's difficult to imagine there are too many complaints in the locker room.
Neymar's first-time pass over the top of Real Madrid's defense near the end of the first half was spectacular, but when Mbappe raced onto it, you knew something even better was on the way.
The 23-year-old had already been denied several times by Thibaut Courtois' towering figure, but that didn't stop him from shooting early, hard, and low to give PSG the lead on the night and double their advantage over the two legs.
Others might have kept running towards the goal, but not Mbappe. He could see enough netting between Courtois and his near post to shoot, and PSG had the goal they deserved after a strong first half performance.
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