Kylian Mbappe made a triumphant comeback from injury by scoring a goal as Paris St-Germain seized command of their Champions League last-16 matchup against Real Sociedad.
The French champions had a lackluster track record in the competition and encountered a frustrating evening until Mbappe intervened.
Having been absent from his team’s prior match due to an ankle issue, Mbappe found the net at the far post following a corner.
Bradley Barcola doubled the lead with a splendid finish beyond Alex Remiro.
Real Sociedad goalkeeper Remiro thwarted Mbappe’s bid for a second goal earlier, tipping his effort onto the crossbar.
PSG, who have never clinched the Champions League title, fell short of their best performance in the first half, while Mikel Merino of Real Sociedad struck the crossbar just before halftime.
“If you told me at half-time we would win 2-0, I would be dancing for two hours,” PSG manager Luis Enrique told TNT Sports.
“We had to change everything because they were pressing us very high. We couldn’t press and it was like a nightmare.
“When that happens you are going to lose confidence, but football is unbelievable and we could change that. In the second half it was more what we wanted.”
Real Sociedad will believe they can turn it around in the second leg in Spain on 5 March, but will have to offer a much more attacking threat than in Paris.
Mbappe ignores speculation to carry on scoring
PSG, under Qatari ownership, have invested significant amounts in transfer fees and salaries in recent years, yet they have suffered elimination from the Champions League last 16 on five occasions in the past seven seasons.
Since Qatar Sports Investments took control in 2011, PSG have secured nine Ligue 1 titles. However, despite their domestic success, the club has struggled to achieve comparable triumphs in European competitions. This has led to the appointment of seven managers during this period, with four of them serving in the past four years alone.
Their current manager, Enrique, who previously guided Barcelona to Champions League victory in 2014-15, returns to Spain for the second leg in three weeks’ time with confidence in his team’s strong position to progress, partly due to the contributions of Mbappe.
As Mbappe’s contract is set to expire at the end of June, there has been much speculation about his future. Nevertheless, the French World Cup winner has consistently delivered goals throughout the season, being directly involved in 38 goals in 30 appearances for his club, comprising 31 goals and seven assists, which stands as the highest tally among players in Europe’s major leagues.
Furthermore, Mbappe has amassed a total of 44 goals in 68 Champions League appearances for both Monaco and PSG.
In January, amid speculations linking him to Real Madrid, Mbappe stated that he had yet to finalize a decision regarding his future, leaving uncertainty about his footballing destination for the upcoming season.
His display against Real Sociedad underscored Mbappe’s immense value to PSG, as evidenced by four of his seven attempts hitting the target.
Mbappe would have secured a hat-trick if not for Remiro, who thwarted him as early as the sixth minute when he was put through with only the goalkeeper to overcome.
Real Sociedad fade after bright start
Real Sociedad found themselves in their first knockout tie of the competition in 20 years.
Initially, things seemed to be going according to plan for the Basque side as they restricted PSG to only a few opportunities in the first half, before suddenly conceding twice within a span of 12 minutes.
The absence of their captain, Mikel Oyarzabal, due to injury was a setback, and manager Imanol Alguacil will be eager for his top scorer to be available for the return leg.
Real Sociedad conceded as many goals in Paris as they did throughout the entire group stage, totaling two goals in six matches. Additionally, this defeat marked their first loss in European competitions since March 2023, halting a streak of seven unbeaten matches.
“Two goals is nothing, and at home, with our fans pushing as we have done in the last games in the Champions League, I think we have a chance,” said former Newcastle midfielder Merino about his side’s hopes of turning the match around in the second leg.
“It’s all about being efficient, about scoring goals, which is what we haven’t done lately but we know that with our fans we can do it.”