Champions League, PSG thump Barca at Camp Nou: Records broken
Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick helped Paris Saint-Germain thump Barcelona 4-1 at the Camp Nou in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. With PSG having a three-goal advantage over Barca, it will be difficult for the Spanish giants to overturn the same in Paris. Mbappe was at his best as he ripped apart Barca. Here are further details.
PSG trailed 1-0 as Lionel Messi converted from the spot in the 27th minute. Mbappe equalized for the visitors surging past Clement Lenglet and finding the net. He then struck the second from 10 yards to turn the game around in the 65th minute. On-loan Everton striker Moise Kean scored the third for PSG with an unmarked header. Mbappe then scored on the counter.
Messi has scored in the Champions League for the 17th consecutive year (2005-21). The legendary footballer has now scored 28 goals in 31 round of 16 games for Barcelona. Messi has raced to 119 career UCL goals for Barca. This was also his fourth Champions League goal this season.
Mbappe became the seventh player to net a hat-trick in the Champions League 2020-21 season. Notably, he had also netted a hat-trick in the 2019-20 season against Club Brugge. Mbappe is now the third-highest scorer for PSG in all competitions (111). He surpassed Pauleta's tally (109). He has now scored 21 or more goals in a season for PSG for the fourth successive season.
Lionel Messi's opener was his 20th goal of the season for Barcelona in all competitions. This is now the 13th consecutive campaign he's scored 20+ goals for the club. He now has 654 goals for Barca in 764 appearances.
PSG became just the second French side to beat Barcelona at home after Metz also won 4-1 in the 1984-85 Cup Winners' Cup. The French champions have scored in each of their past 20 away matches in the Champions League, a run dating back to September 2016. In Champions League history, only Real Madrid have had a longer run - 22 games from 2010-2014.
🇫🇷 French top scorers in Champions League knockout rounds:
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) February 16, 2021
⚽️1⃣8⃣ Karim Benzema
⚽️1⃣2⃣ Thierry Henry
⚽️1⃣0⃣ Kylian Mbappé
⚽️0⃣8⃣ Zinédine Zidane#UCL pic.twitter.com/o9IsVWYGd8
