Will Kylian Mbappé win the Champions League at PSG after Barcelona heroics?

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Face Dortmund  

The Champions League trophy has been the lacuna of the Qatari’s ownership of PSG. Since the government backed Qatar Sports Investments purchased the French giants in 2011, it’s been no secret that winning the most prestigious club competition in football has been the ultimate aim. Since the takeover, PSG have spent €2.04bn in their quest for Champions League glory – allowing some excellent youth prospects to depart – but could their luck change this season?

Superstars have arrived and departed the Parc des Princes without winning the biggest prize of them all but Kylian Mbappé will be targeting the ultimate parting gift. The French superstar is destined to join Real Madrid in the summer but he helped fire PSG into the Champions League semi-finals as he scored twice against Barcelona in the quarter-final second leg to secure a 6-4 win on aggregate. The Parisians famously reached the final in 2020 before losing to Bayern Munich and this is only the third time they’ve reached the semi-final stage, under the Qatari ownership, but they’ll be strong favourites against Borussia Dortmund. A curtain call at Wembley in June is on the horizon for Mbappé as he aims to lift the famous Champions League trophy for the first time.

Can PSG beat Borussia Dortmund to reach Champions League final?

PSG featured in the easier side of the Champions League knockout stage draw and they are strong favourites to beat Borussia Dortmund in the semi-final. Dortmund are languishing in fifth in the Bundesliga – outside of the Champions League places – but they produced a stunning performance in the second leg against Atletico at home. The Germans trailed 2-1 after the first leg in Madrid but they produced a scintillating display to win 4-2 in Dortmund to progress on aggregate. Losing 4-1 to RB Leipzig at the weekend wasn’t ideal preparation for Dortmund but they possess dangerous players, including Jadon Sancho, and PSG will need to avoid complacency. The Parisians wrapped up the Ligue 1 title on Saturday night and Luis Enrique rested several key players – including Mbappé.

Mbappé’s incredible Champions League record

All eyes were on Mbappé as PSG faced Barcelona. The French superstar’s impending move to Real Madrid raised the stakes against the Spanish giants’ fiercest rivals. But the 25-year-old endure a rare off night as he failed to register a single shot on target for the first time in over three years in the competition as PSG lost 3-2. Luis Enrique’s men faced an uphill challenge to reverse that defeat in Barcelona and their prospects took another dent when Raphinha fired home his third goal of the tie to give the Spaniards a two-goal lead on aggregate. The turning point of the encounter, however, arrived on 29 minutes when Ronald Araújo was sent off and PSG took advantage to score four goals with Mbappé netting the final two. 

Mbappé’s first from the penalty spot was his 40th goal of an incredible individual season and his away record in the knockout stages of the Champions League is incredible – as the graphic above illustrates. His double last night moved him above countryman Karim Benzema to become the second top goalscorer in away games in the knockout stages with 15 goals in 14 games. Cristiano Ronaldo ranks first with 25 goals but Mbappé’s goals per game ratio is far superior to any other player in the top ten.

Will Kylian Mbappé enjoy a positive legacy at PSG?

Mbappé’s mooted move to Real Madrid has been one of the most protracted transfers in recent history and many will be glad that it will reach its conclusion this summer. The attacker will depart as PSG’s record goalscorer with six Ligue 1 titles but his failure to lead PSG to Champions League glory casts a shadow. As the graphic below illustrates, Mbappé still boasts an excellent individual record and he moved into the top ten scores in the competition history with his brace against Barcelona.

It’s imperative to stress that Mbappé isn’t responsible for PSG’s Champions League anguish as he’s often been their star performer in the competition. The 2020 final defeat will hurt most and PSG’s decision to sign Lionel Messi the following summer backfired as it unbalanced their side. The front three of Neymar, Mbappé and Messi possessed incredible individual ability but all three were often unwilling to do the defensive work and it left PSG far too open and susceptible defensively. Mbappé’s departure on a free transfer will leave a sour taste for many PSG fans given the financial outlay on Transfermarkt’s joint-most valuable player in the world but French Area Manager at TM, Ronan Caroff, believes that feeling will dissipate over time. 

“The bitter feeling around his departure will stain his short term legacy,” Caroff added. “But in due time people should recognise the impact he had for PSG since 2017. The attacking numbers that he’s recorded, countless national titles, at least one UCL final and a World Cup title while. Mbappé is also the top goal scorer in PSG history above Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edison Cavani and Neymar.”

The new era at PSG under Luis Enrique 

The relationship between Mbappé and Enrique has been under the spotlight in recent weeks with the PSG boss dropping his star player and substituting him relatively early in games. Mbappé has only played 90 minutes once in PSG’s last eight league games, averaging just 42 minutes per game across those fixtures. In recent seasons, PSG have changed their transfer approach as they prioritise the addition of exciting youngsters and allowing ageing stars to leave in order to bring down the average age of their squad and wage bill.

“Back in June 2022, president Al Khelaifi told Le Parisien “In Paris, glitter is over”, and there were signs of it quickly,” added Caroff on PSG’s new approach. “They hired a French coach in Christophe Galtier, and spent just €147.5m across  2022/23 – including no signings in the winter window. But the core of the team was still similar, because of long contracts – only Messi and Ramos left in the summer of 2023 –  and players that didn’t necessarily attract interest on the market. The Mbappé, Messi, Neymar trio dominated the limelight with the involvement of the latter two criticised. Now, I would say PSG look more like a team, which was unsure after the biggest turnover in PSG’s recent history. Various young players have been added to the squad with many older players departing. There is now balance on most positions and of the non injured field players, only Nordi Mukiele hasn’t passed 1000 minutes yet this season.” As a new dawn beckons at PSG with younger players at the heart of their project, but Mbappé will be aiming to end his time in Paris by lifting the Champions League trophy.