Kylian Mbappé bags a hat-trick and takes his Paris Saint-Germain tally to 150 goals in all competitions, as Vannes are brushed aside in the French cup!
Coup de France holders, Paris Saint-Germain, strolled into the competition’s last 16 after a second-half hat-trick from Kylian Mbappé, in addition to Presnel Kimpembe’s opener, earned them a 4-0 triumph at fourth-tier, Vannes, on Monday.
PSG boss, Mauricio Pochettino, selected a makeshift team that dominated throughout, seemingly without expending much energy. Home goalkeeper, Clément Pétrel, foiled Ander Herrera and Georginio Wijnaldum with fantastic stops before Kimpembe put Les Parisiens into the lead with a diving header from a corner, just before the half-hour mark.
Mbappé, who had a subdued first half, doubled the visitor’s advantage in the 59th minute, after the attacker collected Kimpembe’s pass, raced clear of his markers, and beat Pétrel. The shot-stopper was unfortunate not to keep the ball out after getting his body to it, but it looped off him and into the Vannes net.
There was nothing lucky about Mbappé’s 71st-minute strike, however, as he fired a first-time missile into the top corner from the edge of the penalty box, after being teed up by 18-year-old, Xavi Simons.
The Frenchman completed his hat-trick five minutes later with a close-range tap-in into an empty net, following a neat one-two with substitute, Éric Ebimbe. Mbappé now has 150 PSG goals in all competitions!
Edouard Michut, another 18-year-old prospect selected by Pochettino, hit the crossbar before Pétrel produced another stunning save to deny Ebimbe in the final minutes.
Pierre Talmont’s home side wasted a golden opportunity to grab a consolation in stoppage time, but PSG keeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, saved Jordan Henry’s shot at the back post from point-blank range.
Pochettino’s men now face Nice in the Coupe de France round of 16, on the 28th of January.
