Superstar athletes eventually have to take the field and perform for their team.
Kylian Mbappe, a forward for Paris St-Germain who has won five Ligue 1 titles and a World Cup, is already regarded as one of the best players in the world.
Yet, the Frenchman has not yet assisted his hometown team in winning the Champions League, a trophy that has eluded them all along.
The 25-year-old scored twice on Tuesday as PSG defeated Barcelona, the five-time champions, 6-4 overall to go to the European Cup semifinals, where they will take on Borussia Dortmund.
Before the ball reached him on the edge of the box in the first, Joao Cancelo took down Ousmane Dembele for a penalty, which he easily smashed home in the 89th minute. Mbappe’s first effort was denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but he smashed the rebound into the net to round off a superb night for PSG.
Mbappe declared, “I dream of winning the Champions League for Paris.”
“I’ve been proud to work at PSG since day one. My dignity isn’t damaged because there are good and bad periods in life. As someone who grew up in the nation’s capital, I take great satisfaction in playing for this club and representing it.
It’s wonderful to have an evening like this as a Parisian. We must maintain our composure since we have one more step left until we get to the final in Wembley.”
With the double, Mbappe now has eight goals in 10 Champions League matches this year.
PSG’s defender, Rio Ferdinand, believes that Mbappe is in the right position to deliver a Champions League trophy for the club. Mbappe was kept quiet in the first leg in Paris and did not dazzle in Barcelona until scoring on 61 minutes. PSG boss Luis Enrique praised his control in the game and said that if he fails to deliver, his career in Paris will be considered a failure. Mbappe has scored more times away from home in the knockout rounds of the Champions League than Cristiano Ronaldo. Ferdinand believes that there will be a moment in the semi-final where Mbappe has to come to the fore.
PSG is on track to win its third successive Ligue 1 title and has reached the last four in Europe. Mbappe is set to leave PSG for Real Madrid this summer, where he will sign a five-year deal, earning 15 million euros a season and a 150 million euro signing-on bonus. Despite dropping in and out of the team, he has managed to score 41 goals in 42 games in all competitions.
(BBC)
