BARCELONA – Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe said that wanting to help his hometown club win their first Champions League title is a matter of pride for him, after he scored twice in his side’s 4-1 comeback win in Barcelona on April 16. The result sent PSG into the semi-finals with a 6-4 aggregate victory.
The star forward, who is set to leave PSG in the summer with Real Madrid the likely destination, told reporters that his future is currently not on his mind and that his focus is on bringing glory to the French capital.
“I have the dream of winning the Champions League for Paris,” he said. “I’m proud to be at PSG since the first day. The pride of playing for this club, of representing the club of the capital of my country, it’s something special for me who grew up there. To experience an evening like this one as a Parisian, it’s great. We have one more step to go before we reach the final in Wembley, so we need to stay calm.”
Barcelona won 3-2 in Paris and took a 1-0 lead with an early Raphinha goal in the return leg. But they collapsed after going down to 10 men just before the half-hour mark, when last man Ronald Araujo was sent off for fouling Bradley Barcola.
Former Barca forward Ousmane Dembele equalised for PSG just before the break, while Vitinha and Mbappe finished the job in the second half at the Montjuic Stadium.
The French side will face Borussia Dortmund in the semi-finals after the Germans beat Atletico Madrid 5-4 on aggregate.
Having failed to get past the round of 16 in the last two seasons and being pinned against the ropes by a Barcelona side who were in the ascendancy, PSG put on a gritty performance to make the most of the home side’s mistakes and turn the tie around.
“We beat a great team this evening, but even if we had lost, I would be proud to be Parisian,” Mbappe added. “Now it’s certain that during evenings like this, the pride is even greater. It’s a night to be proud.”
Questions have been asked about the French star’s recent performances, but his brace took him to 41 for the season in all competitions. He is now just two goals away from a half-century in the Champions League.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez berated the referee and said that Araujo’s red card was “unnecessary”.
The Spaniard complained bitterly to referee Istvan Kovacs and ended up being shown a red card himself. But that did not stop him going back to the pitch at the final whistle to voice his frustration again at the Romanian official.
“The referee was really bad. I told him his performance was a disaster. I don’t like to talk about referees, but it had a clear impact in the season,” Xavi said. “We are very upset because the red card was the decisive factor in the match. We were playing well and in command.
“It’s too much to flash a red card in a game like this. It is a pity that the work of the season was ruined by an unnecessary expulsion.” REUTERS, AFP
