Mbappé magic saves Messi’s PSG blushes

PSG’s Kylian Mbappé scores the last-minute winning goal past Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois in the Champions League clash at Parc des Princes. Picture: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

A last-minute moment of brilliance from Kylian Mbappé, the player who is expected to move to Real Madrid this summer, helped bolster Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League dream of breaking European football’s glass ceiling as they overcame the Spanish giants on a night when Lionel Messi missed a penalty in Paris.

A 1-0 victory in the first leg of this last-16 tie has the potential to change so much.

It felt like Real were odds-on to reach the quarter-finals when they stifled the French champions for 94 minutes and Messi saw a 61st-minute spot-kick saved by Thibault Courtois, to the agony of the Parc des Princes crowd.

That miss played into the narrative that PSG’s Champions League curse was about to strike again and that no matter how much their Qatari owners spend, they may never be champions. But then one back-heel from Neymar, a stunning body swerve from Mbappé, and a sweet finish for his 22nd goal of the season changed everything.

It’s a result that may ultimately mean manager Mauricio Pochettino keeps his job, disappointing Manchester United fans who want him to move back to England in June. And it’s a result which sets up a fascinating second leg in the Bernabeu with everything to play for.

It seems strange to suggest that PSG are still interlopers and underdogs against teams like Real, given the wealth of a club that is owned by Qatar and capable of unlimited spending in the transfer market. But history still carries weight in football, no matter how much money you have in the bank — so this victory is a crucial one.

Real’s 13 European Cups are the kind of currency PSG’s wealthy owners can only dream of, and the Spanish giant’s history book carries far more chapters than a club that was only formed in 1970.

The pendulum has looked like edging towards Paris in recent times but Real, who last lifted the Champions League in 2018 when beating Liverpool 3-1, arrived in France still blessed with experience and prestige.

The fact that Mbappé looks certain to move to the Bernabeu this summer, with PSG unable to persuade him to stay, hints at that truth.

And that was just one of many fascinating subplots to look out for in this tie.

How would Messi, who was lured to Paris by the kind of wages his beloved Barca could no longer pay, fare against old rivals? Would Neymar have an impact from the bench? How could the new school beat the old school and keep their ultimate dream alive?

The only disappointment was that Sergio Ramos, the former Real captain who lifted so many trophies with the La Liga champions, was not fit enough to feature for PSG. There are still questions over whether Messi can deliver away from Catalonia, of course, and they were not answered here.

He has scored five of his seven goals for PSG so far in this competition and his record of 26 goals against Real in his Barcelona days made him, as always, one to watch.

But he was relatively quiet in a first half which was almost totally dominated by PSG against an organised Real side that was happy to fill midfield and defend in numbers and was relieved to end up on the winning side following his penalty miss.

Perhaps it was the pressure that stifled PSG for long periods. A series of managers in Paris have failed to deliver the big-eared trophy and so, almost exactly 10 years since Qatar Sports Investment became sole owners of the club (nine months after arriving as major shareholders), current coach Pochettino knows it has to happen soon.

His side lost in the semi-finals to Manchester City last season and in the final against Bayern in 2020 but they also went out in the last 16 in three straight seasons before that and have underperformed in relation to the investment made by their owners.

“PSG have been trying to win this trophy for 50 years, so we are the challengers,” said Pochettino ahead of kick-off, and it’s a phrase that rings true.

PSG’s first opportunity to move that dial a little came when Mbappé crossed for Angel di Maria to shoot over from close range early on, and they came even closer when Mbappé got behind Dani Carvajal but saw his scuffed effort saved by Courtois.

On reflection, that was scant reward for 45 minutes of possession, and Real even managed to create a last-gasp opportunity for Casemiro, who was denied by Gianluigi Donnarumma just before the half-time whistle.

It hadn’t been the free-flowing game neutrals were hoping for but as the rain came down, PSG produced a high-quality move after 50 minutes, from which Mbappé forced Courtois into an excellent save. With Messi growing in influence, they were the better side but the former Barca man proved not to be the hero.

When Carvajal brought down Mbappé in the 61st minute, Messi’s under-hit penalty was superbly saved by Courtois low to his left.

That would have been the game’s defining moment if sub Neymar had not produced that outrageous backheel, and Mbappé — against his future employers — provide such a thrilling finale.

Real will still have history on their side in the second leg but the glass ceiling at least has cracks emerging as PSG continue to dream.

PSG: Donnarumma, Hakimi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Nuno Mendes, Danilo (Gueye 87), Paredes, Verratti, Di Maria (Neymar 73), Messi, Mbappé.

REAL MADRID: Courtois, Carvajal (Vazquez 73), Eder Militao, Alaba, Mendy, Modric (Valverde 82), Casemiro, Kroos, Asensio (Rodrygo 73), Benzema (Bale 87), Vinicius Junior (Hazard 83)

Referee: Daniele Orsato.