da dobrowin: The star man took centre stage as usual, but his protege showed there is hope for the future as Luis Enrique's side established a first-leg lead
da fazobetai: Kylian Mbappe was the protagonist, but young Bradley Barcola showed that Paris Saint-Germain might just survive without him as the Parisians' wingers grabbed the goals in a 2-0 first-leg win over Real Sociedad on Wednesday night.
Luis Enrique's side endured a disappointing opening period, but a controlled second half saw them ease past their Spanish visitors.
The Parisians had their chances in the first half; Mbappe scuffed his effort after running through on goal, before Ousmane Dembele lashed a shot into the side netting. La Real came closest before half-time though, with Mikel Merino rattling the bar from 30 yards out.
Mbappe opened the scoring early in the second half, darting in at the far post to meet a Marquinhos flick-on. Barcola added the second soon after, skipping past his man down the left before threading an effort through the goalkeeper's legs. Mbappe came within inches of the third with a driven strike from long range. The defence did its work, too – La Real didn't put a single shot on target all evening.
This wasn't impressive at first, but a strong second half has seen Luis Enrique's men take a significant stride towards achieving their unlikely Champions League dream.
GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…
GettyGoalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):
Made a couple of neat saves, and was otherwise untroubled. Surprising that he had such a quiet night.
Achraf Hakimi (6/10):
Offered legs but not much quality down the right. Most of La Real's threat came from the other wing.
Marquinhos (7/10):
Assisted Mbappe's opener, won his aerial duels, and kept the ball moving. A commanding presence.
Danilo Pereira (8/10):
Completed all but four of his passes, didn't lose a 50/50 and looked assured at the back. He might be Marquinhos' ideal partner.
Lucas Beraldo (7/10):
Preferred to Lucas Hernandez, and held down the left side effectively. Kept Take Kubo quiet for the most part.
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Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):
A hardworking shift in the middle. Didn't do much in possession, but went about his defensive work diligently.
Vitinha (7/10):
A buzzing presence in central midfield – especially after the break. Won the ball back with regularity, made things happen in tight spaces.
Fabian Ruiz (7/10):
Tidy on the left side of a midfield three. Connected with Mbappe effectively. Assisted Barcola's goal. A showing that made a case for more minutes.
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Ousmane Dembele (5/10):
Fired one into the side-netting in a waste of one of the best chances of the first half. Didn't have much of an impact in 90 disappointing minutes.
Kylian Mbappe (8/10):
Missed a good chance early on after being sent through on goal. Grabbed PSG's first with a tidy finish. Rattled the bar shortly after, and whipped one just over. Scary when he's in this kind of mood.
Bradley Barcola (8/10):
A fantastic shift on the left. Did his defensive work effectively, competed for 50/50s, and took his goal wonderfully. His best game in a PSG shirt.
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Marco Asensio (6/10):
Had a couple of efforts on goal, and kept things flowing on the break.
Lucas Hernandez (5/10):
Tasked with handling Kubo – which he didn't do too effectively.
Randal Kolo Muani (6/10):
Almost scored a wonderful third.
Luis Enrique (7/10):
Made a few interesting calls, including selecting Barcola ahead of Kolo Muani, and Beraldo over Hernandez. PSG were poor in the first half, and much improved in the second. Not perfect, but he will take the 2-0 lead.