The France forward led Luis Enrique’s side as they ran riot in the first half, scoring four to wrap up victory early
Kylian Mbappe scored twice, and could have added more, as the no-longer exiled winger orchestrated a 4-1 Paris Saint-Germain victory over Lyon on Sunday. Mbappe spearheaded an often mesmerising counter-attacking performance, with the Parisians left feeling as they could have scored more against a messy home side.
The France captain started things within four minutes, dispatching a penalty after Manuel Ugarte was hacked down in the box. He was at the centre of it all for PSG’s second, seeing his sliding effort denied by a fine save, before Achraf Hakimi pounced on the rebound to give the Parisians a 2-0 lead inside 20 minutes.
Hakimi really should have added another soon after, but rattled the bar from six yards out after a sweeping counter-attack. The next time PSG broke, though, things ended clinically, as Ugarte put Marco Asensio through on goal, and the Spaniard made easy work of the finish, scoring in his second straight appearance. The fourth came before half-time too, with Mbappe running through on goal to bag his second of the night — and put the game to bed before the break.
Lyon were perhaps fortunate that the scoreline didn’t get uglier. Ousmane Dembele hit the bar twice after the break, and Mbappe fired wide. The hosts pulled one back from the spot, but that did little other than end the Parisian clean sheet.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma (8/10):
Made an excellent save at 2-0. Made an even better one at 4-0. Couldn’t do anything about the Lyon spot-kick. Ended the game with seven saves — his most impressive showing in a while.
Achraf Hakimi (7/10):
Got forward with regularity, rewarded with a goal. Was a kind bounce away from a second.
Marquinhos (8/10):
Reliable positionally, while some of his one-on-one defending was excellent. A real return to form for the skipper.
Milan Skriniar (7/10):
Not quite at his best, but kept things simple and didn’t really make any mistakes.
Lucas Hernandez (6/10):
Moved the ball effectively, and did his part at the back. Lacks attacking thrust, but that’s probably acceptable given the guy who plays in front of him.
Midfield
Warren Zaire-Emery (7/10):
The forward line had all the fun, but Zaire-Emery did the hard work in between. A tireless performance from a real talent.
Manuel Ugarte (8/10):
Won the PSG penalty and kept the dangerous Cherki mostly quiet. Showed a bit of attacking quality, producing a fine assist for Asensio. Looked tired before he was subbed — he’s not the finished article yet.
Vitinha (6/10):
Ran a lot, but lacked composure on the ball. Still struggling to convince as an acquisition despite having a year to settle.
Attack
Ousmane Dembele (7/10):
Dangerous on the break, connected well with Hakimi. Still hasn’t found a rhythm in front of goal, though.
Marco Asensio (8/10):
Took his goal well — that’s now two in two for one of PSG’s more shrewd signings in recent years. Remains to be seen if he’s still in the mix once new signing Kolo Muani returns to fitness.
Kylian Mbappe (8/10):
The forward has been given some of the signings he wants, and the freedom to play his best stuff. Buried one from the spot to give PSG the lead. Effortlessly cool for his second. He’s back.
Subs & Manager
Goncalo Ramos (6/10):
Got in some dangerous areas, but tried to force things. Figured to be the starting No.9, but will now find himself fighting for minutes.
Bradley Barcola (6/10):
On the wrong end of a harsh reception from the home fans, a week after leaving the club.
Fabian Ruiz (N/A):
Showed some promise in a deeper lying role.
Cher Ndour (N/A):
A brief runout for the teenager.
Luis Enrique (8/10):
Fielded his strongest XI, keeping faith in Ugarte, and it worked wonders. The Parisians were dangerous on the break, and could have scored six. He was the fourth-choice manager, but Luis Enrique has this team playing.
