- Mbappe scored five past Pays de Cassel
- Fired PSG to a 7-0 victory
- Galtier names Mbappe as vice-captain
WHAT HAPPENED? The French international was in sensational form against sixth-tier outfit sixth-tier Pays de Cassel as he scored three in a 10-minute period towards the end of the first half, and added two more after the break to fire PSG to a 7-0 win. In the absence of regular captain Marquinhos, along with Presnel Kimpembe and Marco Verratti - who are usually second and third in the hierarchy - Mbappe was given the armband and embraced the extra responsibility. However, Galtier clarified the forward has been the vice-captain since the summer and hence it was natural for the 24-year-old to lead in the absence of Marquinhos.
WHAT THEY SAID: The PSG boss said after the round of 32 win: "We decided at the start of the season that Kylian Mbappé should be the second captain. He deserves to have this armband when Marquinhos is absent."
Galtier added on Mbappe's five-star display: "Kylian Mbappe's a goalscorer, he's obsessed with goals and attacking. I'm not going to say he's going to gain confidence [from scoring five goals], but he's up to his standard. It was important for him and Neymar to play the full game. They combined a lot and looked for each other a lot. It was good for them."
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mbappe was rather measured in his response after becoming the first player in the history of PSG to score five times in a competitive match. He stressed that the Ligue 1 champions had respect for their lower division opponents which helped them to put in a professional performance. "We're happy, we came to qualify and respect this team," he said. "Respect means playing at our level. We're happy. It was a great opportunity for [Pays de Cassel], and for us because we also come from amateur football. We are very happy to come and play, and it is an important competition for Paris Saint-Germain."
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Next Match
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WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE? The forward will hope to continue his rich vein of form when PSG host Reims in Ligue 1 on Sunday.