PSG thrash Milan to get back on track in Champions League

PSG were eager to bounce back from their 4-1 defeat away to Newcastle United three weeks ago and they ultimately had too much attacking quality for their Italian visitors at the Parc des Princes. Mbappe opened the scoring with a lethal finish just after the half-hour mark for his 10th club goal this season, and his France teammate Kolo Muani added another shortly after half-time.

Lee Kang-in then came off the bench to net the third late on, the South Korean star's first for the club. PSG thoroughly deserved their win, with the Ligue 1 side a completely different proposition from the disjointed team that was overloaded with forwards and overrun in midfield in the defeat by Newcastle.

Having started their European campaign with a 2-0 home win against Borussia Dortmund, Luis Enrique's PSG side top Group F at the halfway stage with six points ahead of a trip to Milan early next month. Milan, the seven-time European champions, are bottom of the group with two points and a big concern for Stefano Pioli's side will be that they have yet to score a goal in the competition this season.

This game saw French international brothers Lucas Hernandez, the PSG defender, and Theo, the Milan captain, come up against each other for the first time. It also saw PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and his Milan counterpart Mike Maignan come up against the clubs with whom they started their careers.

But the stars of the show were elsewhere, with Mbappe - who was hugged by a pitch invader in the first half - looking arguably sharper than he has done at any point up to now this season for PSG.

 

October 25, 2023

Zaire-Emery stands out

Meanwhile, the 17-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery was exceptional in the PSG midfield and his latest impressive performance will not have gone unnoticed by France coach Didier Deschamps, who was watching from the stands. There were seven current full French internationals on the field at kick-off and it was national team captain Mbappe who opened the scoring in the 32nd minute.

Zaire-Emery collected possession just inside his own half, burst away from Tijjani Reijnders and found Mbappe, who advanced into the box before beating Maignan with an early, low shot into the corner. That was a blow to Milan, who had started well and upset the Paris defence with their high pressing, and also saw Rafael Leao curl an effort not far wide shortly before the goal.

It was not just Zaire-Emery who impressed in the home midfield, with Vitinha continuing his fine form this season in a position close to Mbappe on the left. Meanwhile Manuel Ugarte is the man who holds it all together, but his physical approach denied PSG a second goal three minutes into the second half.

Ousmane Dembele thought he had scored his first goal for the Qatar-owned club since signing from Barcelona in the close season, as he ran through to plant a low shot beyond Maignan into the far corner. However, Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic disallowed the goal following a VAR review for a foul by Ugarte on Yunus Musah in the build-up.

PSG didn't have to wait long to make it 2-0 though, as Kolo Muani turned the ball into an empty net in the 53rd minute after Maignan had pushed out a Dembele shot. Milan tried unsuccessfully to find a way back into the game, while Maignan intervened more than once to stop Mbappe scoring again, notably touching a shot onto the outside of the post.

But the home side made it three in the 89th minute as the outstanding Zaire-Emery powered forward down the right and set up Lee to score with a first-time strike.