Kylian Mbappe Stars as PSG Reach Champions League Semifinals
Historic Performance by French Forward
Paris, France - February 16, 2021
Kylian Mbappe cemented his status as one of Europe's most dangerous forwards on Tuesday as he inspired Paris Saint-Germain to a 3-1 victory over Barcelona, sending the French giants into the UEFA Champions League semifinals.
The 22-year-old became only the third player to score a hat-trick in the knockout stages of the Champions League since 2014, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski in achieving the feat.
Mbappe's performance was a testament to his exceptional talent and the growing maturity of a player who has been tipped for greatness since his emergence at AS Monaco five years ago.
With PSG already leading 1-0 from the first leg, Mbappe opened the scoring at the Camp Nou with a stunning 30-yard strike that flew into the top corner.
He doubled his tally shortly before halftime, tapping in after Lionel Messi's penalty was saved by Keylor Navas.
Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the second half, taking advantage of a mistake by Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to score into an empty net.
PSG's victory means they are into the last four of the Champions League for the first time since 2021. They will face Manchester City in the semifinals.
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