Kylian Mbappe goes level with Arsenal legend in impressive Champions League stat after scoring in PSG win over Dortmund
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe moved level with Thierry Henry in an impressive UEFA Champions League record after helping his side beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Tuesday (September 19).
PSG hosted Dortmund at the Parc des Princes in their group-stage opener on Tuesday. Both sides had good opportunities to score in the first half but failed to do so.
The Parisians got a penalty in the second half after Niklas Sule was deemed to have handled the ball in the box. Kylian Mbappe clinically converted the penalty in the 49th minute to open the scoring. Achraf Hakimi then scored a wonderful goal, combining with Vitinha, in the 58th minute to secure a 2-0 win for the hosts.
With the goal against Dortmund, Mbappe became only the third Frenchman to score 35 goals in the Champions League for a single team (via Opta). He's now level with Thierry Henry, who scored 35 goals with Arsenal and behind Karim Benzema, who scored 78 goals with Real Madrid.
Overall, the PSG superstar has scored 41 goals in 62 Champions League games, having scored six goals with AS Monaco before joining PSG in 2017.
Kylian Mbappe has been in excellent form after returning to the first team after an eventful summer. He refused to sign a one-year extension to his contract, which expires next summer. He was, hence, barred from first-team training amid speculation of his departure.
However, the issue has been resolved for now, and the Frenchman has scored eight goals in five games across competitions since his return.
Kylian Mbappe and Co. put in dominant Champions League display despite domestic struggles
PSG have started the 2023-24 season poorly under Luis Enrique, with just two wins in five Ligue 1 games.
They commenced their campaign with a goalless draw at home to Lorient. PSG then drew 1-1 at Toulouse, where Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring from the spot on his return to the first team.
The Parisians then beat Lens 3-1 at home and Olympique Lyon 4-1 away before losing 3-2 against OGC Nice at home in their last game. They are fifth in the Ligue 1 table, three points behind leaders AS Monaco.
Despite their domestic troubles Kylian Mbappe and Co. put in an excellent performance against Dortmund in the Champions League. They had 69% possession with a passing accuracy of 89% and 17 attempts on goal.
With Newcastle United and AC Milan playing out a goalless draw, PSG secured crucial three points to go top of Group F of the Champions League.