The Moment Kylian Mbappe Ruined Lionel Messi And Two Other Barcelona Players In Three Seconds

Kylian Mbappe mercilessly destroyed Lionel Messi and two other Barcelona players in three wonderful seconds at the Nou Camp last night.

In his first ever appearance against the Blaugrana, the 22-year-old sensation scored a stunning hat-trick as PSG ran out 4-1 winners in the Champions League round of 16 first leg.

Without Neymar and Angel Di Maria for the crunch clash, Mbappe completely ran the show. He struck a superb equaliser in the first half and helped himself to a further two, including a glorious curling strike, in the second half.

Mbappe became the third player to score a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona but his performance was not merely about goals.

He terrorised the Barca backline, specifically a returning and rusty Gerard Pique, with his pace and trickery.

Messi too felt Mbappe's wrath up close and personal in the second half when he rinsed the Barca skipper, Pedri and Sergio Busquets in quick succession.

The blend of skill and explosiveness Mbappe uses to beat opponents can't help but make you hark back to the likes of Thierry Henry and Ronaldo Nazario.

It's a huge compliment but a deserved one. Already world-class at 22, he's well on his way to reaching that level.

Messi and Mbappe have met on the pitch on two occasions in big games now. The future Ballon d'Or winner has emerged victorious on both occasions, scoring five times in total.

The former Monaco man's three-goal haul saw him move up to third in PSG's all-time top scorer rankings on 112 goals, while he now has 40 goal involvements in 41 Champions League appearances.

Such was his elite mentality and confidence, Mbappe predicted victory for PSG in Catalonia.

Speaking in his post-match presser, Mauricio Pochettino said: "Yesterday, at training, he asked me how many times I had won at the Camp Nou. Once, I told him. He replied to me: tomorrow, we are going to win a second time. He is a top player."

A top player indeed and the fact he's still so young means he will no doubt get even better, which is a rather frightening thought.

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Topics: Football News, Paris Saint-Germain, Football, PSG, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe

Josh Lawless

Josh is a sports journalist who specialises in football and wrestling. He has been published by Curzon Ashton FC, Late Tackle, Manchester City FC, The Mirror, Read Man City and Manchester Evening News. He provides coverage of professional wrestling and has interviewed some of the biggest names in the field - including the first UK interview with The Hardy Boyz after their return to WWE. He has never sported a pair of Lonsdale Slip-ons, contrary to reports.

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