Established 1961 15 Thursday, February 18, 2021 Sports Mbappe hat-trick stuns Barca to put PSG in sight of quarter-finals PSG ‘too strong’ even without , Di Maria

BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappe ripped Barcelona go to work. If I was a person who was very happy apart on Tuesday by scoring a stunning hat-trick in when we win and then with a result like today said a 4-1 rout to put Paris Saint-Germain on the brink I have no desire to continue, that would be crazy. I of the Champions League quarter-finals. Mbappe know where we are, we have to change, we are not underlined his status as the rising superstar of at the end of this road, we are halfway through.” world football with a ruthless display of finishing at Even without the injured Neymar and Angel Di that will go down as one this competi- Maria, PSG were too strong, a breathless, enter- tion’s most devastating individual performances. taining first half giving way to a French obliteration The 22-year-old eclipsed Barca’s , in the second. PSG’s new boss Pochettino pumped whose opening goal from the penalty spot had a fist at the end, after a huge early boost to his been reduced to nothing more than a footnote by credibility. the final whistle. Moise Kean also headed in mid- way through the second half, carelessly left Early warning signs unmarked from a free-kick as PSG pulled away to The warning signs for the hosts came early as win this first leg, and perhaps the tie. Mbappe sped in behind their central defense after Barcelona will no doubt draw upon the spirit of 52 seconds, only for Marc-Andre ter Stegen to their astonishing ‘Remontada’ in 2017, when they clear just in time. For half an hour, the chances just won the second leg 6-1 to overturn a 4-0 deficit kept coming, at both ends. from the opening game in Paris. It will certainly scuttled through but was denied by serve as a warning for PSG but without fans, and at the near post and then made up for a mis- with Mbappe, any hopes of a repeat for Ronald control by dashing back to prevent ’s Koeman’s side from look faint at best. Mbappe ran finish from trickling in. them ragged all night long. “The great footballers Messi’s pass led to Barca’s opener, a clipped write their stories in the biggest matches,” said ball over the top attracting the gaze of Layvin . “We had no doubts before Kurzawa as he tracked back and inadvertently the game and even less now that we are seeing a tripped in front of him. Messi BARCELONA: Paris Saint-Germain’s Italian forward Moise Kean (right) scores a header during the top, top player.” slammed the penalty into the top corner. PSG UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg football match between FC Barcelona and Paris Koeman had gambled on the fitness of Gerard were briefly shell-shocked and for the next five Saint-Germain FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday. —AFP Pique, who had not played a game in almost three minutes, Koeman’s men chased a second, with months due to a knee ligament injury. But to rub Messi freeing Ousmane Dembele in the area but salt into the wounds, Pique trudged off late on just he failed to connect. Now the Parisians were on top, with Kurzawa Florenzi’s cross to the feet of Mbappe, who as PSG were running riot. This was a chastening Yet as they gained in confidence, they also left thwarted by Ter Stegen’s fingertips and Barca clipped in his second, and then Kean headed home, experience for Koeman’s youthful side, who had gaps and PSG hit back. Mbappe had already seen relieved to reach half-time. But Mbappe was left free at the back post by Lenglet. Navas almost shown signs of a resurgence in recent weeks in La a flicked finish blocked by Pique and moments lat- relentless, motoring past opponents every time he gifted Barcelona a lifeline when his clearance met Liga but were exposed against an opponent of an er he made sure, taming ’s astute got the ball and never letting up. Ter Stegen had to Griezmann’s left foot and the ball drifted just wide altogether different class. pull-back with one touch before feathering anoth- save a deflected shot from Kean before PSG took of his own post. Instead, Mbappe landed the Koeman was even asked if he wanted to contin- er expertly around Clement Lenglet in the six-yard charge with two goals in five minutes. knock-out blow, teed up on the counter-attack and ue as coach but was defiant. “I accept a defeat and box and unleashing past Ter Stegen. Pique could only hack away Alessandro curling beautifully in the far corner. —AFP

hold back, saying Barcelona had seen Europe’s media in PSG “a mirror that reflects their image” of a team that now “terrorizes, hails ‘hurricane’ subdues and destroys them”. “Mbappe went through the Camp Koeman faces Nou and devastated it like a hurri- Mbappe cane, with a historic display, one that will remain etched in memories forev- scrutiny after PSG PARIS: Europe’s media lavished er,” wrote the daily, also from praise on PSG’s “hurricane” superstar Madrid. Missing other top stars halt Barca revival Kylian Mbappe after a stunning Neymar and Angel Di Maria, PSG Champions League hat-trick blew were “led by an unstoppable Kylian MADRID: said Barcelona were away Lionel Messi’s Barcelona at the and a colossal Veratti,” it said, calling not ready yet to win the biggest trophies but Paris Nou Camp on Tuesday. The 22-year- Barcelona “light years away from the Saint-Germain showed them on Tuesday how far old’s goals in the round of 16 first-leg great dominators of the continent, they have to go. Kylian Mbappe ran riot at Camp tie made him the first-ever player to once again humiliated in the Nou, his hat-trick signing off one of the great indi- score a hat-trick against Barcelona in Champions League.” vidual performances of the Champions League era the knockout stages of the elite com- “Mbappe destroys Barca in the and elevating his status to arguably the most dan- petition. Nou Camp,” read the headline in gerous player in the world. French daily L’Equipe called the Barcelona daily Mundo Deportivo. BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Spanish defender Gerard Pique (left) challenges The 22-year-old certainly outshone Lionel striker “atomic” and the team a “for- “Barca remain very, very far from the Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe during the UEFA Messi, even if snap comparisons are perhaps unfair midable collective force” which level required for the Champions Champions League round of 16 first leg football match between FC on the Argentinian, given the mismatch in the stopped the genius of Messi, who is League,” it read. The other Barcelona Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain FC at the Camp Nou stadium in teams each had behind them. This was not a con- Barcelona on Tuesday. —AFP considered one of the greatest foot- sports daily, Sport, said Barca were test between Mbappe and Messi nor a failure on ballers of all time. It called PSG’s stars “pulverised by PSG” and Mbappe Messi’s part that his Barcelona side were overrun, “Galacticos” on its front page and “has proven to be an uncontrollable for so long the planet’s greatest player final European adventure with outclassed and ultimately obliterated, a 4-1 defeat said “it will be necessary to consider giant”. putting PSG within sight of the quarter-finals. stopping football” if the Parisians do not only of his day but of all time, was Barcelona “it might well be remem- completely upstaged by Kylian bered as the season in which the Instead, it was a reality check for Koeman’s not qualify for the quarter-finals after ‘Changing of the guard’ Barca, a brutal assessment of where they are in securing a 4-1 first-leg lead. Mbappe,” it wrote. It said the “electric crown was ripped from his head”. It British tabloid The Sun said the Frenchman” of just 22 years “now said Mbappe produced “one of the their recovery and a measuring of the distance still match pointed to a “changing of the looks ready to claim Messi’s crown as great European hat-tricks of recent to be covered before they can rejoin Europe’s elite. ‘Historic display’ guard at the head of world football” “I know where we are,” said Koeman. “We have to Spain’s Madridista press, while the king of world football” after his years” while Messi faded from the as speculation mounts that Messi will hat-trick. game “like a light bulb losing power”. change but we are not at the end of this road, we hailing the young Frenchman, was part ways with his longtime club at are halfway through.” more critical of the Barcelona per- The Daily Telegraph echoed that The PSG star delivered “nothing short the end of the season. “Lionel Messi, sentiment, saying that if it was Messi’s of a masterclass,” it concluded. —AFP The problem for Koeman was not the result, formance. Madrid daily AS did not which many had expected before Neymar’s injury and a string of encouraging displays in raised false hope. If the mauling by Bayern Munich ment of the infamous “remontada” last season was the end of something for (Spanish for “comeback”) by buying PSG banish Barcelona, a cycle finished and players subse- the architect of their downfall that quently discarded, Koeman’s project is, in theory, night, paying a world record fee of 222 just beginning. memory of million euros ($264m at the time) to Of those that played on Tuesday, Pedri is 18 and activate Neymar’s release clause. Sergino Dest 20, with Oscar Mingueza, Francisco Barcelona squandered the money ‘remontada’ Trincao and all 21. Ousmane Dembele received and now find themselves in and Frenkie De Jong are both 23. For some of these PARIS: Kylian Mbappe had already possibly ruinous debt while also having players, this was the biggest game of their careers won the World Cup and scored in the squandered the last years of Messi at and it showed, the usually immaculate Pedri mis- final, but he had not yet produced a his peak. If last season’s 8-2 quarter- controlling a pass or De Jong stumbling into an Champions League performance on the final demolition at the hands of Bayern opponent instead of gliding by. level of his devastating display that Munich was not to be the end for the And yet what may trouble the players, Messi blew away Lionel Messi and Barcelona Argentine with Barcelona in the and perhaps Barcelona’s incoming president next on Tuesday. Champions League, then Mbappe’s month was the extent of the gap, how by the end His hat-trick, capped by the devastating display surely is. PSG did the full-time whistle felt like a relief. In an interview emphatic finish at the end of an 85th- not even need Neymar, who is nursing with Movistar television afterwards, De Jong minute counter-attack, secured a stun- a groin injury, to pull off a memorable struggled to find the words. “I don’t know, there is ning 4-1 win for Paris Saint-Germain — result for recently-appointed coach one leg left,” he said. “It will be very difficult, we all without Neymar — in their last 16 first Mauricio Pochettino. Nor did they need BARCELONA: Barcelona’s Argentinian forward Lionel Messi walks off the know that, but we will try.” leg that leaves the French club on the Angel Di Maria, who is also sidelined. pitch at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg foot- brink of the quarter-finals. ball match between FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain FC at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on Tuesday. —AFP ‘We have to change’ The 22-year-old terrorized Will he stay in Paris? “There is always another match,” said Koeman. Barcelona right-back Sergino Dest all Amid all the talk that Neymar is “But after a 1-4 (loss) at home I’m not going to lie evening long and led PSG’s fightback close to signing a new contract to keep his contractual situation in the wake of the second player to score a to you, there is very little chance.” He had gambled after they fell behind to Messi’s first- him in Paris beyond the end of his exist- what is his signature Champions Champions League hat-trick against on the fitness of Gerard Pique and then took him half penalty. “When Kylian shines in the ing deal in 2022, Tuesday’s game was a League performance for PSG. “The Barcelona at the Camp Nou, following off with 12 minutes left, not for injury but preserva- big matches it makes the difference,” reminder of the importance of Mbappe question often comes up but it is not in the footsteps of Andriy tion. “There was no need to take risks,” said captain told French broad- to the PSG project. He humiliated only that. It would be, in inverted com- Shevchenko, who achieved the feat for Koeman, who was even asked if he had the desire caster RMC Sport after a result that Barcelona and in doing so may well mas, ‘stupid’ to make a decision about Dynamo Kiev in 1997. to carry on. “Fortunately I’m a fairly honest and should help exorcise some old demons have convinced Real Madrid president my future based on one good or bad Mbappe is also, after four and a half up-front person,” Koeman said. “If I was someone for the Qatar-owned club. Florentino Perez of the need to find the game,” he said. “It would be ridiculous years at the club, now PSG’s third top who gets happy when we win and then after a Much of the talk coming into funds to bring him to the Bernabeu. to say I wasn’t going to sign a new con- scorer of all time. With 110 goals, only result like today said I had no desire to continue, Tuesday’s match was about what hap- Mbappe’s contract expires at the tract if we had lost. It is a long-term Edinson Cavani and Zlatan Ibrahimovic that would be crazy. I know where we are. We pened the last time these sides met in end of next season. He has not yet thing, my decision won’t be based on remain ahead of him. “I always wanted have to change but we’re not at the end of this Catalonia. Four years ago, at the same decided whether to sign a new deal one or two games, but I have always to give my best for Paris Saint-Germain. road, we’re halfway through.” stage of the competition, PSG arrived with his hometown club. It could still said I was happy here and I am even These colors mean a lot to me,” said Before kick-off, Koeman had arrived at the at the Camp Nou having won the first get far worse for Barcelona, should happier after a match like this.” the former Monaco star. “I have not stadium gates in his car, with Barcelona fans leg 4-0 and departed on the end of a Mbappe end up in Madrid and PSG Last season’s beaten finalists will always had the breaks and maybe there cheering as they saw him and chanting his name. historic, humiliating 6-1 hammering. Yet decide to replace him with Messi, surely not let this first-leg advantage will be other games where I don’t turn Since his appointment last summer, Koeman has that game has turned out to be devas- whose own contract expires in June. slip, even if Neymar may not be fit for up, but I will never hide. I might make stabilised Barca, instilled a sense of purpose and tating for Barcelona. That is possible. the return. Without the Brazilian mistakes, get things wrong, but I will promoted youth. —AFP PSG responded to the embarrass- Inevitably, Mbappe was asked about alongside him, Mbappe became just never hide.” —AFP