"This is what you want to see" - Thierry Henry hails PSG star Kylian Mbappe's winner against Real Madrid
Former footballer Thierry Henry has praised Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) forward Kylian Mbappe for his display against Real Madrid.
Mbappe scored the only goal of the game as the Parisians picked up a deserved victory in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie. Aside from scoring in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time, the Frenchman also recorded a key pass and had four shots on target.
Speaking on CBS Sport after the match, Henry said (as quoted by the Daily Mail):
"This is the type of player... the other day I was speaking to a friend of mine and I was like 'there's not many people who will make me jump out of my seat or make me scream'."
Kylian Mbappe's goal against Real Madrid was an instinctive and precise finish into the bottom-right corner. Henry feels goals like those are becoming rare and wants to see more of them. The Arsenal legend said:
"This is what you want to see, this is why you put your TV on cause you want to see people unlocking something. I always go on about 1v1, all the time coach tells you 'the ball has to go there, the ball has to go there, you have to pull it back, switch it'."
He added:
"What happened to 1v1? And this guy has plenty of it. Let him play, let us enjoy it, but what a night, what a goal and I'm sure it won't be the last."
Kylian Mbappe has been PSG's talisman this season
While some were worried that Lionel Messi's arrival could take the attention away from Kylian Mbappe, the latter has ensured that it hasn't affected his game.
PSG's match against Real Madrid offered a glimpse of that as Messi missed a 62nd-minute penalty while Mbappe scored with a fantastic finish. The goal was the Frenchman's fifth in seven Champions League matches this term. He has also unbelievably recorded seven assists in those matches.
Overall, Mbappe has managed 22 goals and 18 assists in 32 matches across all competitions for PSG in the ongoing season. He is undoubtedly their talisman and will be key if Mauricio Pochettino's side are to win Ligue 1 and end their wait for a Champions League title in 2022.