Kylian Mbappe leaves Lionel Messi in the shade helping PSG to late Champions League win over Real Madrid

by Andy Scott

Paris - Kylian Mbappe's importance to Paris Saint-Germain was all too evident long before his stoppage-time strike gave them a narrow win over Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League showdown on Tuesday and left them on course for a place in the quarter-finals.

It is understood that PSG rejected an offer worth up to $204m from Real in August for Mbappe, despite the France World Cup-winning striker being in the final year of his contract.

They wanted at least one more season with Mbappe at the Parc des Princes knowing that, even with Lionel Messi and Neymar there too, he is the man they need if they are finally to win a first Champions League title since the Qatari takeover of 2011.

Kylian Mbappé has now scored 13 goals in his last 13 Champions League matches