UEFA Champions League: Kylian Mbappe two goals steer PSG into quarterfinals with 2-1 win over Real Sociedad
Kylian Mbappe's two goals led Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a comfortable 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, securing their spot in the Champions League quarter-finals.
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Kylian Mbappe's brace led PSG to advance in the Champions League quarterfinals.
PSG sealed a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad.
Kylian Mbappe's brace fired Paris St Germain into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad, completing a 4-1 aggregate triumph.
Mbappe is likely to join Real Madrid soon, which means he'll be playing in the same league as Sociedad. However, in a recent match, Mbappe showed he's a cut above the San Sebastian side with his precise finishing. PSG had a comfortable lead of 2-0 from the first leg, and they remained in control throughout the match. The only setback came when Mikel Merino scored a late consolation goal for Sociedad.
PSG move to quarter-finals
A win and qualification!
The Parisians win at the Reala Arena and qualify to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
LET’S GO PARIS #RSOPSG I #UCL pic.twitter.com/vrJdNTnb5y
— Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) March 5, 2024
Mbappe signalled a warning early in the match when he narrowly missed turning a shot over the bar from Fabian Ruiz's pass in the fifth minute.
Sociedad counterattacked, causing PSG defender Nuno Mendes to breathe a sigh of relief as his header narrowly missed the post while intercepting Sheraldo Becker's cross. PSG asserted their dominance and took the lead after 15 minutes with Mbappe scoring his fifth Champions League goal of the season.
Ousmane Dembele played the ball into the left channel and the France striker cut back from the byline and bent the ball across goal and inside the far post, leaving Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro, unsighted by his own defenders, rooted to the spot.
Remiro would have better luck in the 29th minute when he made a superb save to keep out Mbappe’s low shot at his front post, but PSG were bossing the game.
Mbappe seals PSG's victory
Sociedad’s most dangerous moment came late in the half when Takefusa Kubo’s shot from range sailed just wide of Gianluigi Donnarumma’s post.
But 11 minutes into the second half, Mbappe killed off any remaining sense that Sociedad were in the contest.
Lee Kang-In’s ball through gave Mbappe the freedom to run at goal uncontested, and he opened up his body as if shaping for the far post before whipping the ball in at the near post with Remiro wrong-footed.
Sociedad had the ball in the net in the 63rd minute when Ander Barrenetxea headed home but the flag went up for offside.
Sociedad took encouragement as they stepped up their attacks, having found fresh impetus from a series of substitutions.
Merino turned his chance wide from the centre of the area and, late on, Jon Ander Olasagasti saw his close-range effort deflected over the crossbar.
They would finally reward the vocal support of their fans at the very end. Benat Turrientes drilled in a cross from the right, Donnarumma got a strong hand to it but could only push it out to Merino, who had a relatively simple task to rifle home from the centre of the goal.
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