Burying the ghosts of last season's final loss, Paris Saint Germain (PSG) defeated Bayern Munich 3-2 in the first leg of the semi-final of UEFA Champions League 2020-21. It was indeed a historic day as the defending champions suffered their first UCL defeat in over two years. While it was a collective team effort from the French team, Kylian Mbappe was the wrecker-in-chief for PSG. The 22-year-old scored a brace and proved to be the difference between the two sides. Mbappe also achieved a remarkable milestone during his stellar outing at the Allianz Arena. UEFA Champions League 2020–21: Kylian Mbappe’s Brace Guides PSG to 3–2 Win Over Bayern Munich in First Leg of Quarter-Final.
In-form Mbappe didn't take long in making his presence felt as he opened the scoring for PSG in the third minute of the contest. Assisted by Neymar, the PSG striker foxed veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to find the nets. His second strike came when the scores were levelled at 2-2 and the game was advancing towards a draw. Mbappe once again pierced Bayern Munich's defences with his brilliance and registered a goal in the 68th minute, which proved to be a winner.
With this memorable brace, Mbappe has inked his name in the history books. The young French professional became the first player to score five away goals in the Round of 16 and quarter-final phase of the Champions League in the same season.
For the unversed, the young PSG striker netted a stunning hat-trick against Barcelona at Camp Nou, which knocked the Catalan Giants out of the tournament. Hence, his brace against Bayern Munich took his tally to five goals in the knockout stage. However, Mbappe is still two goals behind the current season's Champions League top-scorer Erling Haaland (10).
Notably, Mbappe's tally of 8 goals is also joint-most by a French player in a single Champions League season. However, the former AS Monaco striker can become the lone holder of the feat with a single strike in leg two on April 14.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2021 09:58 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).