Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Christophe Galtier has lauded Kylian Mbappe following his five-goal haul against Pays de Cassel in the French Cup, claiming the Frenchman is addicted to scoring.
French champions PSG took on sixth-division side Pays de Cassel in the French Cup Round of 32 on Monday night (22 January). The Parisians bagged an emphatic 7-0 victory over their lowly rivals, with Mbappe scoring five of them. Neymar and Carlos Soler scored PSG’s other two goals as they moved on to the Round of 16 of the French Cup.
Giving his verdict on Mbappe’s performance on Monday, Galtier admitted that his striker was obsessed with finding the back of the net. Speaking to the press after the game, the French manager said (via RMC Sport):
“Kylian Mbappé, he’s a goalscorer, he’s obsessed with goals and attacking.”
Mbappe opened the scoring for PSG in the 29th minute before doubling his tally in the 34th minute. Five minutes before the half-time whistle, he completed his hat-trick. Mbappe continued to torment Pays de Cassel defenders in the second half and snatched two more goals, with them coming in the 56th and the 79th minutes, respectively.
Kylian Mbappe’s display against Pays de Cassel on Monday made him the first PSG player in history to score five goals in a single competitive game.
Pays de Cassel skipper was unsure whether or not he would tackle PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe
Pays de Cassel skipper Alexis Zmijak was in two minds ahead of his team’s French Cup clash with Les Parisiens. Zmijak, who happens to be a die-hard supporter of the Parisian club, admitted that he was hesitant about tackling Kylian Mbappe so close to PSG’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.
Speaking to Le Parisien ahead of the French Cup tie, Zmijak said:
“If Mbappé goes on goal, do I tackle him or not? Do I say to myself: wait, he must play Bayern in the UCL soon?
“It’s a strange feeling to be fighting on the field now against the players I watched from the stands and cheered on. I couldn’t have imagined it. We lost our minds when the draw was made.”
Zmijak’s respect for Kylian Mbappe and Co. seemingly got the better of him on Monday, with the center-back ending the match with the least number of touches of any outfield player (41).
Galtier’s men will take on Bayern Munich in the Champions League Round of 16 over two legs. The first leg will be played in Paris on 14 February, with the second leg scheduled in Munich for 8 March.