Mbappe is the talk of the Spanish press after hat-trick in Barcelona

Kylian Mbappe is the talk of the Spanish press after ‘ANOTHER embarrassment in the Champions League’ for ‘characterless’ Barcelona leaves them on the brink with PSG striker’s hat-trick a ‘hurricane’ to sweep aside Lionel Messi and Co

  • Kylian Mbappe produced a masterclass as his hat-trick schooled Barcelona
  • The PSG striker was the talk of the Spanish newspapers on Wednesday morning
  • AS described him as a ‘hurricane’ after one of his greatest ever performances
  • Marca hit out at ‘another Champions League embarrassment’ for Barcelona

Spanish press tore into Ronald Koeman’s ‘characterless’ Barcelona after ‘another embarrassment’ in the Champions League as they were torn apart by Kylian Mbappe and Paris Saint-Germain at the Nou Camp. 

Barcelona took the lead through a Lionel Messi penalty but the Catalan side quickly collapsed as Mbappe netted a hat-trick in the famous victory, with Moise Kean also on the scoresheet. 

It was Mbappe who dominated Wednesday’s front pages with his performance described by Diario AS as like ‘a hurricane’ that ripped through the Nou Camp.  


Wednesday’s front pages in Spain were dominated by Kylian Mbappe’s Barcelona hat-trick

Mbappe was all smiles on a night where he claimed the match ball and Man of the Match award

Such a heavy defeat was described as ‘another Champions League embarrassment’ for Barca

Marca described how Mbappe ‘blew Barca away’ while Sport went with a similar line as the French striker ‘swept Barca aside’ on the night. 

Mundo Deportivo simply coined the term ‘Mbappe’d’ after his one-man show left Koeman’s side on the brink of elimination at the halfway stage in this last-16 tie. 

They described Barcelona as ‘fragile, imprecise and characterless’ on the night in a performance that was an indictment of their decline in recent seasons. 

The last time these sides met in Europe PSG won the first leg 4-0 in Paris before collapsing at the Nou Camp to lose 6-1 in that famous second-leg and they were eliminated. 


Mundo Deportivo coined the term ‘Mbappe’d’ (left) as Sport said Barca were ‘swept aside’

Mbappe’s treble leaves PSG on the brink of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition

Mbappe’s masterclass on Tuesday night was seen as retribution for that fateful night and Marca felt strongly that there will be no repeat second-leg heroics as Mbappe ‘sentences [Barca] to elimination’.

For Barcelona it was their first appearance in the knockout stage in Europe since the 8-2 humiliation against Bayern Munich in the Lisbon bubble last summer.  

‘That was a cold bath of reality,’ Koeman said in the aftermath.

‘The game showed us we’re lacking a lot of things to be a top level team especially of the level you need in the Champions League.

‘The scoreline reflects how superior they were. They were far more effective than us.’

Mbappe’s mesmeric performance left his supporters starry-eyed all over Europe and Diario AS added that his hat-trick only intensified Real Madrid’s desire to sign him. 

Mbappe was too hot to handle for Barcelona’s defence, including Gerard Pique (above) 

Moise Kean got the other goal on the night as PSG took a huge step towards the last eight

But when quizzed on his future, Mbappe was dismissive that one game such as this would dictate his plans. 

‘Today, my hard work is paying. We were a little heckled, there was Covid-19. But we are feeling better and better physically,’ Mbappe said.

‘It would be stupid to decide my future on a single match. The truth, is that it is about reflecting for the long term. 

‘I have always said that I am happy here. This sort of match makes me even happier… The PSG shirt is one that I hold dear to my heart.’ 

Mbappe’s contract expires in the summer of 2022 and PSG are reportedly keen to secure an extension to keep Neymar and the Frenchman together in Paris.  




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