VICTORY IS KIDS’ STUFF FOR MBAPPE
KYLIAN MBAPPE confirmed his status as one of the world’s most exciting young talents in breathtaking style.
The 18-year-old Monaco striker’s two goals confirmed fears that Borussia Dortmund would be affected by the terrorist attack on their team coach a day earlier.
The way both teams would react to the 24-hour postponement after the bombing was seen as a key factor in the countdown to this Champions League quarterfinal in Germany.
And Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was unhappy that the game had gone ahead.
He said: “We were informed by text that UEFA was making this decision. We will not forget it, it is a very bad feeling.
“A few minutes after this attack, the only question that was asked was, ‘Are you ready to play?’. As if we had thrown a beer on our coach.
“The date was imposed on us. We weren’t asked about playing the game.
“I just wanted more time, a few more days.”
Mbappe became the youngest player to score twice in a Champions League knock-out tie.
He created chaos in the home defence and was brought down by Sokratis. But Fabinho fluffed the spot-kick by dragging his effort wide. Mbappe got his team-mate off the hook when he kneed home Monaco’s opener from Thomas Lemar’s cross after 18 minutes.
And their speed on the counter-attack continued to tear open the Dortmund defence.
The panic was evident when the Germans’ Sven Bender headed into his own net on 34 minutes.
Even the Dortmund fans (holding up a banner in support of their player Marc Bartra who was injured in the bombing, above), delivering their usual deafening backing, were stunned.
Monaco’s lead was cut after 56 minutes. PierreEmerick Aubameyang produced a sublime back-heel to split the visiting defence and Ousmane Dembele tapped into a gaping net.
But as the Germans pressed for an equaliser they were guilty of being sloppy at the back.
Mbappe intercepted a square pass, sprinted through and despatched a strike reminiscent of Thierry Henry in his pomp.
But with six minutes left Shinji Kagawa got a second for Dortmund to give them hope.