PSG 4-1 Club Brugge: 5 talking points as Mbappe and Messi net braces in routine win | UEFA Champions League 2021-22 

Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the first seven minutes against Club Brugge.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice in the first seven minutes against Club Brugge.

#3 Messi and Mbappe enjoy record-breaking outings

Mbappe scored his 30th Champions League goal.
Mbappe scored his 30th Champions League goal.

Mbappe gave PSG a dream start when he scored from their first attacking move of the game.

With that strike, he registered his name in the history books. The young Frenchman broke his teammate Messi's record to become the youngest player to score 30 goals in the UEFA Champions League.

Messi himself had a great outing. With his first goal against Club Brugge, he equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's record of scoring against 38 different teams in the Champions League. His second of the night saw him overtake Pele's record of 757 career goals for club and country.


#2 PSG cruise past Club Brugge without Neymar

Neymar watched from the stands as PSG scored four times against Club Brugge.
Neymar watched from the stands as PSG scored four times against Club Brugge.

PSG were almost flawless in the first half. The club had two of the best attacking players in the world on the pitch, and took every opportunity to have a go at the Club Brugge goal.

The hosts recorded nine shots in the first half, with six of them on target. Messi and Mbappe had four and three key passes respectively. It looked like the club did not miss Neymar in the final third.

Messi has now scored in his first three home games with PSG in the Champions League, emulating Geroge Weah (1994) and Neymar (2017).

Nevertheless, Mbappe has been the standout player for the club this season, outshining both Messi and Neymar. He is the leading goalscorer and assist provider across all competitions. Meanwhile, Messi's smart positioning around the box allows him to be more involved in the game (only Marco Verratti and Abdou Diallo had more touches than Messi).

Messi and Mbappe have begun to click. However, it remains to be seen how Neymar, who has scored just three goals across competitions this season, fits into the jigsaw.


#1 PSG's dominant first-half display blows away Brugge

PSG showed attacking intent against Club Brugge.
PSG showed attacking intent against Club Brugge.

PSG finally delivered a dominant performance expected from their star-studded lineup. Even before the half-time whistle, the result of the game was put beyond doubt by Mauricio Pochettino's men.

Mbappe was the architect of an impressive first-half display, scoring a quick-fire brace and setting up Messi for PSG's third. The players had great exchanges, especially in the middle of the park and in the attacking third.

Though there was a drop in intensity after the restart, PSG quickly regrouped. However, failure to keep a clean sheet blotted an otherwise fine performance.

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