“Incredibly special” - Kylian Mbappe opens up on ‘high standards’ after equalling Zlatan Ibrahimovic feat at PSG
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe has expressed pride in equalling Zlatan Ibrahimovic's tally of 156 goals for the club.
The 23-year-old scored twice in the Parisian giants' 3-1 win over Saint-Etienne to become the second-highest goalscorer in the club's history.
After the game on Saturday, Mbappe thanked his fans and said he felt honored to equal Ibrahimovic's record. The former AS Monaco man said:
"My 156th goal? It's incredibly special. I think that having the opportunity to be able to equal the record of a player like Ibrahimovic is fantastic. We all know what he did here, so it means that we are playing with high standards."
"And being able to score at the Parc des Princes and to equal the record here is particularly special. Here, at home, in front of the supporters, who have always supported us, so we are very happy to have this moment. We have important times ahead of us and we all want to head in the same direction."
Mbappe ties Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the second-most goals in PSG history with 1️⃣5️⃣6️⃣ https://t.co/cif8pf1xDc
As things stand, Mbappe is still 44 goals behind PSG's all-time top scorer Edinson Cavani. The current Manchester United star netted 200 goals in 301 appearances for the Parisian outfit during his seven-season stint at the club.
Mauricio Pochettino's side returned to winning ways in Ligue 1 as they secured a comeback 3-1 win against Saint-Etienne. A brace from Kylian Mbappe and a goal from Danilo Pereira were enough to secure all three points on the night.
Paris Saint-Germain extended their gap at the top of the Ligue 1 standings to 16 points following their win on Saturday night. They have so far amassed 62 points from 26 matches. Olympique Marseille have a chance to reduce the deficit to 13 points provided they win their game in hand.
Kylian Mbappe is PSG's highest goalscorer this season
Kylian Mbappe is PSG's leading goalscorer in the current campaign, having netted 24 times in 34 matches across all competitions. He has also provided 17 assists this season.
There is a gap of 17 goals between Mbappe and PSG's second-highest goalscorer Lionel Messi. The Argentine has scored seven goals and provided 11 assists in 23 appearances for the club across all competitions.
Kylian Mbappé and Presnel Kimpembe spoke to #PSGTV after Les Parisiens' victory over Saint-Etienne on Saturday evening (3-1). ⬇️⬇️⬇️
en.psg.fr/teams/first-te…
It is worth mentioning that the World Cup-winning forward currently has less than six months remaining on his current contract at PSG. He has been heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid on a free transfer at the end of the current season.
Mbappe recently said he hasn't made a decision about his future despite the links to Los Blancos. He told French broadcaster Movistar (via Goal):
"I’ve not decided my future. I play for Paris Saint-Germain, one of the best clubs in the world. I give my best and then we will see what happens next season."
Mbappe netted an injury-time winner for PSG against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Round of 16 clash in the Champions League earlier this month.