| Advertisement |
Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Kylian Mbappe recorded a second-half hat trick to lead Paris Saint-Germain past Club Brugge in a Group A matchup in the UEFA Champions League. The speedy striker scored in the 61st, 79th and 83rd minutes of the 5-0 triumph Tuesday at Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium. Mbappe came onto the pitch as a substitute in the 52nd minute. Fellow PSG forward Mauro Icardi scored twice in the victory. Angel Di Maria logged three assists for PSG.
Advertisement
Mbappe, 20, surpassed Lionel Messi as the youngest player to score 15 Champions League goals by netting the three scores against PSG's Belgian First Division A foe.
"It's an extraordinary result, because I'm convinced it's always very difficult to win a Champions League game," PSG coach Thomas Tuchel told reporters. "This evening it was hard until we scored the second goal. That gave us confidence and we won the ball back more.
"Of course Kylian coming off the bench did us good, but we mustn't forget the work done for 60 minutes before that. Sometimes you have to accept to not play as well, have trouble scoring, but if we can stay on our game we can get a result like tonight."
Icardi drew first blood in the 7th minute off a Di Maria assist. PSG held the narrow lead through the halftime whistle. Mbappe entered the game for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting seven minutes into the second half and provided a jolt for the Ligue 1 club.
Mbappe's first goal came after a Di Maria cross was deflected away by Club Brugge goalie Simon Mignolet. The ball sprayed out to Mbappe, who headed it into the empty net for a 2-0 lead.
Mbappe led PSG to another score minutes later. The French soccer star recovered a loose ball in the Club Brugge box during that sequence. He then lifted a cross to Icardi, who slapped a shot past Mignolet in the 63rd minute.
Di Maria collected his second assist by playing a perfect through ball ahead for Mbappe. The PSG striker outpaced several defenders before lacing a shot on the ground, finding the far-post netting.
Di Maria placed another perfect through ball for Mbappe minutes later. Mbappe tracked down the pass and used his first touch to beat Mignolet at the near post, completing his hat trick.
"Congratulations to the whole team but also Kylian, who was immense after coming off the bench. He scored three goals coming back from injury, that shows the work he has put in," PSG defender Thiago Silva said.
PSG is now 3-0 in Group A, leading Real Madrid, Club Brugge and Galatasaray. They return to Champions League play with a rematch against Club Brugge at 3 p.m. EDT Nov. 6 in Paris. PSG faces Marseille in Ligue 1 at 4 p.m. Sunday in Paris.
