PSG star forward Kylian Mbappe capped his 25th birthday with a matchwinning brace during their 3-1 home win over Metz tonight, while his teenage brother and midfielder Ethan was afforded a few minutes from the bench to make his maiden senior appearance on a memorable night for the Mbappe household.
Mbappe leads the way as leaders finish 2023 victorious
- On his 25th birthday, Kylian Mbappe moved to 27 goals on the season for club and country – 18 in Ligue 1 – as his brace downed struggling Metz, who sit four points above the relegation zone after 17 games played
- Luis Enrique’s PSG, who have been drawn to face Real Sociedad (Feb. 14, Mar. 5) in the Champions League last-16, are now unbeaten in eight games across all competitions as their two-week winter break begins tomorrow
- Younger brother Ethan, who turns 17 next Friday, made his senior debut off the bench in stoppage-time after featuring for France’s top side in friendlies and pre-season but has largely spent his time at U19 level where the midfielder’s UEFA Youth League displays caught the eye
After another eventual year across all fronts where every disappointing performance has been overanalysed, aloof body language and public comments scrutinised to the nth degree, it feels fitting birthday boy Kylian Mbappe finished it on his own terms.
The manner of the hosts’ three-goal haul looks devastatingly easy in hindsight, though they dominated possession (80%) without reward in a first-half with just four total shots recorded, where versatile centre-back Danilo Pereira hit the woodwork.
Vitinha headed home their opener four minutes after the break from Kang-in Lee’s cross, before Mbappe doubled their lead in style with a rocket from outside-the-box which goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja watched rifle into the top corner.
The build-up to his second, and PSG’s nerve-settling third after 82 minutes, was far less emphatic but nonetheless decisive from the club’s top marksman in a way that makes his detractors envious – why can’t he do this more often in big games? That is, making the difficult look easy by scoring non-penalty goals like a true no. 9 does.
Joseph N’Duqidi’s undercooked backpass towards his ‘keeper was instinctively raced upon and although Oukidja slid across to beat Mbappe in a foot race, Kylian steadied himself as he rounded the Algerian before finishing into an empty net.
Question marks over Gianluigi Donnarumma’s suitability as PSG’s first-choice goalkeeper will continue after conceding a soft goal from Lamine Camara’s 72nd-minute corner, headed in off the post by fullback and Metz captain Matthieu Udol.
However, the Euro-winning stopper didn’t have another save to make in his domestic return from a needless red-card suspension away at Le Havre on Dec. 3 and it also means the Italian ends 2023 without a clean sheet in his last five appearances.
Vitinha had a goal and assist, Lee and £40m summer signing Bradley Barcola impressed elsewhere while there was time for Ethan to make his Ligue 1 debut in stoppage-time as pitchside photographers went into a frenzy capturing action shots of the brothers side-by-side given there’s no telling how long this may last.
An unused substitute on four occasions this term, the 16-year-old midfielder will hope for more minutes to emulate Warren Zaire-Emery’s success as a breakthrough teenager in a team who need more things to champion outside of the obvious.
What’s next for PSG?
January 3, Trophée des Champions: Toulouse
Jan. 7, Coupe de France: US Revel, a sixth-tier side
Ligue 1: Lens (Jan. 14), Brest (Jan. 27), Strasbourg (Feb. 3)
Picture source: Getty Images
Mo and Sports 