SUMMARY
- Kylian Mbappe leads PSG to a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, securing their spot in the Champions League quarterfinals.
- Clocking an estimated 10.9 seconds over 100m during the match, Mbappe displayed his incredible pace.
Kylian Mbappe of Paris St. Germain scored twice to send his team into the Champions League quarterfinals. On March 6, 2024, the team easily defeated Real Sociedad 2-1 on the road in their second leg of the last-16, completing a 4-1 aggregate triumph. A disciplined PSG capitalized on counterattack opportunities in their bid to win its first Champions League title, with the incredibly quick Mbappe posing a continuous threat.
Not only that, in the match Kylian Mbappe clocked an estimated speed of 10.9 seconds over 100 meters. That’s just over a second slower than Usain Bolt’s world record (9.58 seconds). This stat showcases Kylian’s electric pace in the sport and how good he is with the ball at his feet too.
Kylian Mbappe has clocked an estimated speed of 10.9 seconds over 100m 🏃💨
That’s just over a second slower than Usain Bolt’s world record (9.58 secs) 😳 pic.twitter.com/jAO3snAK2R
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) March 5, 2024
Mbappe was having a fantastic evening, and the hosts’ defense could not keep up with his quickness and agility. With his two goals on March 6, he became practically unstoppable along the left channel, and he now has 11 of PSG’s past 15 goals in the Champions League knockout round.
It remains to be seen now how PSG and Kylian Mbappe perform in the remainder of the 2023-24 season and the Uefa Champions League. There will be a lot of pressure on them as PSG hopes to secure their first-ever UCL title in the club’s history.
Kylian Mbappe shares his views on his current coach Luis Enrique
After scoring twice to help Paris Saint-Germain defeat Real Sociedad in the Champions League round of 16, Kylian Mbappe stated that he had “no problem” with Luis Enrique, the coach of the team, on March 6. He said, “It’s fine. There is no problem with him, even if people might think there is a problem. I do have problems but the coach is not one.”
🇫🇷 Luis Enrique on getting used to play without Kylian Mbappé also in UCL after recent subs: “Maybe yes, maybe no. Who knows?”. pic.twitter.com/uWTdPvMWMk
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 4, 2024
Since he told the team he would be leaving when his contract ends at the end of the season, Mbappe has either started on the bench or been substituted in PSG’s previous three Ligue 1 games. In the 0-0 tie with his former club Monaco last weekend, he was substituted at the half, but he stayed on the field for the entire 90 minutes vs Real and increased his season total of goals to 34 in 34 games.
Luis Enrique dodges questions regarding Kylian Mbappe
Luis Enrique, the manager of PSG, sidestepped several inquiries on Kylian Mbappe’s future at the Ligue 1 team, stating instead that he was more concerned with the second leg of their Champions League last-16 match against Real Sociedad on March 6. The club’s all-time top goal scorer, France captain Kylian Mbappe, hasn’t played a full game since he told PSG that he would be leaving as a free agent after this season.
Luis Enrique semble confirmer le départ de Kylian Mbappé du PSG 🗣️
🗨️ “Apparemment, il ne sera pas là dans le futur immédiat. On va devoir tester d’autres coéquipiers”#RSOPSG | #UCL pic.twitter.com/VF6JrX2YX9
— CANAL+ Foot (@CanalplusFoot) March 5, 2024
Luis said, “It’s very easy to manage (the flood of Mbappe questions), I just take whatever questions the journalists want and answer whatever I want, that’s my formula, the match is so important that there are no comments to be made (about Mbappe).”
After getting off the bench and netting the game-winning goal against Nantes on February 17, the 25-year-old was brought on as a substitute in back-to-back Ligue 1 matches where PSG was forced to draw. Luis Enrique seemed frustrated at times when he was asked a lot of questions regarding Mbappe and began making jokes with the UEFA translator about how little he understood.