From the moment Julian Draxler drew in Frenkie De Jong – the last moments of a thrilling counter-attack produced by Paris Saint-Germain to put Barcelona to the sword – and slipped in Kylian Mbappe to notch his hattrick and the first treble scored against Barcelona since Andriy Shevchenko 24 years ago, you just knew the inevitable. It was game, set and match.

The sheer ruthlessness at which the French 22-year-old superstar caressed such a unerring shot into the corner of Marc Andre Ter-Stegen’s net was absolutely mesmeric. An iconic moment which saw this tremendous wonderkid finally come of age on the grandest European stage.

Kylian Mbappe – world cup winner with France in 2018 – re-announced himself on the world stage, as the man to take on the reigns of his great and legendary opponent for the night Lionel Messi. No doubt, the kid has done it before. He upstaged Lionel Messi on the way to France’s historic world cup triumph scoring two sumptuous goals as France totally outclassed the helpless Argentina in the quarter-finals.

He’s netted in some of Europe’s most prestigious stadiums: the Santiago Bernabeu (a stadium he could well light up again in a few years time), the Allianz Arena, the Allianz Stadium in Turin, the Signal Iduna Park, Anfield, the Etihad and Old Trafford.

But on Tuesday night, it felt more grandeur, more fitting that arguably the world’s hottest footballing talent would grab the headlines, and that he did with such unerring aplomb. Ladies and gentleman, please welcome again to the most iconic stage in world football, Kylian Mbappe.

The Frenchman also became the first visiting player to score 2+ goals against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in a Champions League knockout game in the 21st century. Don’t rest your attentions just yet, Kylian Mbappe has also now been directly involved in 40 Champions League goals (24 goals, 16 assists) in 41 games since his rapid emergence in the colours of Monaco during the 2016/17 campaign. A stupendous record for a player still in his early years.

Mbappe wasn’t even born, the last time a player scored a Champions League hattrick against Barcelona but on Tuesday night, if anyone had the nous, the aura and the brilliance to end such a record, it had to be PSG’s dynamite. The man for the big occasion, as he’ shown countlessly throughout his relatively short career so far.

The 22-year-old had only netted just one goal in his previous nine knockout outings, but turned that worrying statistic on its head in such devastating fashion. The night may have started with Lionel Messi – who scored the opening goal from the penalty spot – but it ended with the brilliance of Mbappe as Messi’s supreme superiority in these elite encounters gradually slipped away.

Mbappe, whose current contract runs until 2022, elegantly danced past French counterpart and Barcelona defender Clement Lenglet to smash home the equaliser, stroked home the second from 10 yards after some comical defending from the hosts and added the icing on the cake with a ruthless finish from a ruthless counter-attack.

Mbappe’s hat-trick meant he is now Paris Saint-Germain’s third highest scorer with 111 goals, behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic (158) and Edinson Cavani (200). The rate at which Kylian Mbappe continues to perform, there is simply no reason why the Frenchman cannot surpass Cavani’s superb record within the next year or so. As we have encountered on numerous occasions when it comes to Mbappe is that he makes finishing look so easy, especially for a player his age.

The third goal is a clear example at the confidence, the aura, and the richness at which Kylian Mbappe personifies when he’s in front of goal. The Frenchman makes those kind of scenarios look so effortless, so tranquil that putting the ball in the back of the net is as easy for him as “123”, no pun intended.

Mbappe has now scored 20+ goals across all competitions in each of the last five seasons. Many may point to the nature and quality of the league he’s currently plying his trade in, and those same people will feel he needs to change to a much more competitive division like La Liga or the Barclays Premier League if he is to truly become one the world’s greatest players.

But lets have some patience, the moment for that move will come, for now though, Mbappe can only do the job that is in front of him. Lets agree to disagree, maybe his time at the French champions is just a stepping stone for him at club level, right?

But more importantly, lets divert back to the purpose for this piece, and that is, Paris Saint Germain’s victory over Barcelona was one that felt like a changing of the guard at football’s top table. With Mauricio Pochettino, at the helm, with Neymar and Kylian Mbappe apparently happy where they are, and enjoying their football they could take that one step further this year and possibly win the prestigious Champions League trophy for the first time in the club’s history.

The French side won the first leg through a well-executed gameplan devised by their astute and tactically flexible manager in Pochettino. Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe served as the platform from which to build from in defence. Marco Verratti effortlessly pulled the strings from midfield along with Leandro Parades. Mauro Icardi and Moise Kean put in some assured and efficient performances, with the latter scoring his 14th goal in 20-odd appearances for the club.

Much like the 2018 World Cup enthralling encounter between Argentina and France, the meeting of Mbappe and Lionel Messi was ultimately decided by the better team with the better manager. For so long, Lionel Messi has turned out the unstoppable force, the individual genius and great coupled with some fellow talented and experienced individuals standing by his side, but last night saw the Barca legend toppled by the greater and more quality collective. The man many have worshipped and bowed to at the presence of his masterful abilities on the pitch was confronted by the reality that his throne and empire is crumbling, drawing to an abrupt ending… and in Kylian Mbappe is a player gradually becoming the new centre-piece, the new saviour, the new superfluous protagonist ready to take centre stage.

Tuesday night, we were so blessed to be provided with the most iconic of pictures that truly embodied and captured the changing of the two football super-powers.

An image showing Mbappe bursting through the Barcelona defence, with Gerard Pique, one of the most decorated central defenders to ever grace the flagship European competition, is seen holding on to the shirt of Kylian Mbappe like a kid pulling onto its mother’s shirt desperately wanting his toy back.

It’s an image which also highlights the explosiveness of Mbappe, his on-field talents are undeniable. A player who possesses the quickness of thought, the intelligence and silkiness of movement, in becoming one of the best finishers in European football. He can beat a defender in so many different ways: a dribble, a step-over, a swift feint or just plain explosive pace. The 22-year-old is simply thrilling to watch. If you want the image of the archetypal modern day footballer, short in stature but so powerful and explosive in his dazzling feet, it is Kylian Mbappe. It used to be the great Lionel Messi – opposed to the other great and finely built Cristiano Ronaldo – but last night provided an exploration of the transforming of styles…

One in which Kylian Mbappe reigned supreme.

Remember that night he made his Champions League debut, a game which introduced us to this kid’s dynamic and unique talents off the back of an awful tragedy. A match that shouldn’t have really taken place when Borussia Dortmund took on Monaco in April 2017.

That day, the Dortmund bus was attacked with homemade pipe bombs which left defender Marc Bartra seriously injured, and the Dortmund players mentally shaken. That night ended with little human empathy but much individual optimism, that the footballing future is very bright and in secure hands. A young Mbappe stole the show, scoring twice – showcasing his flawless goal-scoring abilities – and following it up in the second leg with another impressive goal. This kid can score all types of goals, but he’s at his most gracious when dissecting and bamboozling the most elite of defences and leaving them spiraling at his wake.

Four years on, and we are yet still purring, still gasping at the greatness of a player who has already achieved so much, but is still young enough to achieve even more. Mbappe has already dotted off so many of the “all-time greats” checklist of achievements, most notably the majestic world cup trophy – an achievement that even Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi probably won’t have the grace to get their hands on – though one particular trophy that is currently eluding the club where Mbappe is aiming to make his name.

Yes, that is of course the Champions League.

Barring yet another catastrophic collapse from Paris Saint-Germain against Barcelona in the second-leg – seriously we cannot have another repeat of that historic night four years ago – Mbappe will have already done away with one all-time great seeking to break his own personal Champions League duck, and move onto more sterner tests, no disrespect to Barcelona’s current plight.

Just as Messi enters the twilight of his own career, having reinvented our understanding of footballing greatness, last night saw the re-emergence of an explosive and unique French superstar currently at the dawn of his own.

Certainly, the tie is far from over with the second-leg still to come, but Paris Saint-Germain’s 4-1 first-leg victory provided the timely answer to the question many of us have been desperately seeking answers for, “Who will take over the throne when Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo inevitably hang up their boots?” No, its not his team-mate Neymar, its the unique and spectacular young superstar, Kylian Mbappe.

He is indeed a generational talent.

Leave a comment