The French superstar scored twice on his birthday to help his side to a win in their final game of 2023
Not for the first time, Kylian Mbappe's brilliance redeemed an otherwise-average Paris Saint-Germain performance on Wednesday night. On this occasion the forward netted a second-half brace to carry his side to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Metz.
Mbappe was the Parisians' biggest threat early on, making diagonal runs behind the defence, and finding clever angles for his team to exploit. But they had very few clear sights of goal, while Metz offered some lively moments of their own.
Vitinha found the breakthrough shortly after the break. Lee Kang-In provided the pass, curling the ball into the Portuguese's path, and he finished from close range. Mbappe added a trademark second, unleashing a fine curled effort from outside the box that flew into the roof of the net.
The visitors found their way back into the game, though. It came from a corner, with Matthieu Udol meeting the cross at the near post and flicking the ball beyond a sprawling Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Mbappe, inevitably, sealed things. Joseph N'duquidi played a poor pass back to his keeper, and the French superstar seized onto the loose ball and rounded the keeper for an easy finish. This wasn't pretty — PSG rarely have been this season. Still, the Parisians find themselves five points clear at the top of Ligue 1 ahead of the Christmas break.
GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…
Goalkeeper & Defence
Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):
A couple of nice saves, but was once again unconvincing on the ball.
Milan Skriniar (7/10):
Made a few decent clearances, and won his headers.
Danilo Pereira (7/10):
Mostly there to keep the ball moving, which he did very well.
Marquinhos (5/10):
Not at his best on the left of a back three. Sometimes slightly shaky, and looked exploitable.
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Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):
Rather misused on the wing. Couldn't impact the game as much, and naturally drifted infield. Much better when moved inside.
Vitinha (7/10):
On the scoresheet again, and was dangerous in tight spaces. He's been so much better under a new manager.
Manuel Ugarte (6/10):
Held down the centre of the park, winning his tackles and embracing duels. Could definitely be more expansive in his passing, though.
Lee Kang-In (7/10):
Full of energy, and did the creative stuff well. His assist to Vitinha was a terrific watch.
Attack
Randal Kolo Muani (5/10):
Did lots of running, but lacked quality in the final third. Removed after an hour.
Kylian Mbappe (8/10):
Did some good things in the first half thanks to neat movement and clever runs. Scored PSG's second with a wonderful strike. Made the third look easy, too.
Bradley Barcola (6/10):
Offered a spark on the ball, and caused problems with his movement.
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Marco Asensio (6/10):
A lively cameo off the bench. It will be tricky to break into this team again, though.
Lucas Hernandez (5/10):
Offered defensive cover after the break.
Ethan Mbappe (N/A):
Little more than a feel-good first-team debut for the younger Mbappe on his brother's birthday.
Carlos Soler (N/A):
No time to make an impact.
Goncalo Ramos (N/A):
On very late to give others a rest.
Luis Enrique (7/10):
Went for yet another odd setup, deploying his side in a 3-4-2-1 formation, without a true focal point. It seemed awkward at first, but the Parisians came alive after the break, and were ultimately good value for the win.