The French beat Maccabi Haifa with a brace from the Argentine star and another from Mbappé
The Parisian team will play for first place in the group with Benfica, who certified the elimination of Juventus
Maybe it’s due to the World Cup, maybe it’s due to a well-done preseason, maybe it’s due to their willingness to redeem themselves after a last year in which they received harsh criticism… Whatever the reasons, Messi and Neymar They have regained their best level. Nobody disputes it. If you add that to the talent and the enormous punch of Mbappé, the Paris Saint-Germain It has the most fearsome forward in all of Europe. As has already happened on other European nights, the Parisian team resorted this Tuesday to their wrecking trident to thrash a combative Maccabi Haifa (7-2) and qualify for the Champions League round of 16.
The Israelis bravely went out to the Parc des Princes in Paris. At the beginning of the game, they managed to recover numerous balls in the field of the French thanks to a intense pressure. But his limits were evident when it came to resolving the plays. The talent that Maccabi lacks has plenty for PSG. That was how Messi started his exhibition from 19′.
After a combination inside the area with Mbappé, the Argentine star opened the scoring with a brilliant shot with the outside. As has happened on countless occasions, the former Barça captain made the difficult easy. Maccabi maintained their brave approach, although they left some deadly spaces before the punch of the team owned by Qatar. After a talented wall with Neymar, including the Brazilian’s rabona, Mbappé finished off a counterattack with a threaded shot in the 30th minute. Barely four minutes later, Neymar continued with the show time of the trident by defining a counter led by Messi. The Argentine concluded this rain of goals signing his second of the night with a brilliant shot from outside the box.
Mbappé scoring record
Despite the gale of goals, the struggling Israeli team scored an honorable first goal shortly before half-time thanks to a set-piece chance. The second half began as the first had ended. Even Maccabi got the second in another set piece in which PSG showed a lack of defensive forcefulnesswhich he will need in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Related news
The defenses were absent from the Parc des Princes. And the French responded with an offensive gale with goals from Mbappé —adds a total of 39 in all his games in the Champions Leaguewhich makes him the player under the age of 24 who has scored the most in the history of this tournament—, at his own door and by Carlos Soler.
With this win, PSG certified their classification for the round of 16, but still the first position is not assured. It will be played against Benfica on a final day in which they will visit the home ground of a disappointing Juventus, eliminated from the competition and that could even stay out of the Europa League.