Published 13:53 IST, February 17th 2021
PSG boss Pochettino reveals Mbappe's promise to win at Camp Nou prior to UCL hat-trick
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino reveals Kylian Mbappe had promised him his second win at the Camp Nou prior to his spectacular hat-trick against Barcelona.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe turned around the tie all by himself when his side played Barcelona on Tuesday. The France international struck a hat-trick to put the Ligue 1 champions in the driving seat in the two-legged fixture of the round of 16 of the Champions League. His performance against the Catalan giants, however, was no coincidence, to say the least, following a revelation by manager Mauricio Pochettino after his exceptional display at Camp Nou.
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Barcelona vs PSG: Mbappe hat-trick haunts Blaugrana
Barcelona legend Lionel Messi put his side in the front from a spot-kick in the 27th minute. There was no visible contact between Layvin Kurzawa and Frenkie de Jong, but the referee had made up his mind on it and Barcelona were awarded a penalty. However, Mbappe made the most of an exceptional opportunity courtesy of a splendid pass from Marco Verratti to bag the equaliser in the 32nd minute.
The two sides were level on the scoreline by half time. But the second half proved disastrous for Barcelona as Mbappe went on to bag the lead for the Parc des Princes outfit. He received a rebound from Marc-Andre ter Stegen following a strike from Leandro Paredes to make it 1-2 in the 65th minute. Paredes then went on to assist the third goal for the French giants with Moise Keam heading home from a sensational set-piece.
The 22-year-old forward went on to complete his hat-trick, striking a spectacular shot from distance. Mbappe's goal meant that Mauricio Pochettino's men now have a three-goal lead over Barcelona in the two-legged fixture. The next leg has been slated at Parc des Princes on March 10.
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Pochettino Camp Nou record: Mbappe promised victory to Pochettino
Mbappe's fine form against Barcelona cannot be described as a mere coincidence, as revealed by the PSG manager. Speaking to the media after the victory, Pochettino revealed that Mbappe had promised him a win at the Camp Nou. Pochettino has come up against Barcelona on nine occasions during his stint with Espanyol and Tottenham Hotspur.
Mbappe quizzed the manager about the number of times he has won at the Camp Nou during PSG's training session prior to the game. Pochettino was honest enough to reveal he had won just once. The France international then went on to promise him that he would bag his second win as a manager at the Camp Nou, and he did.
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Image courtesy: PSG Twitter
Updated 13:53 IST, February 17th 2021