Mbappe on target for PSG as Benfica snatch 1-1 draw

PARIS: Paris St Germain were held to a 1-1 home draw by Benfica in their Champions League Group H clash on Tuesday (Oct 11), as Kylian Mbappe opened the scoring for the French side amid swirling rumours about his future.

Mbappe netted with a first-half penalty before Joao Mario equalised with another spot kick in the 62nd minute to give the visitors a deserved share of the points as PSG failed to win for the third game in a row in all competitions.

Mbappe also found the net with a bicycle kick four minutes from fulltime but his effort was ruled out for an obvious offside.

The result left PSG top of the group on eight points from four games, ahead of Benfica on goals scored.

Juventus are third on three points, ahead of Maccabi Haifa after they were stunned 2-0 by the Israeli team earlier on Tuesday.

At the Parc des Princes, Mbappe appeared unperturbed by Spanish and French media reports claiming he wants to leave the club during the next transfer window due to the way he is being utilised on the pitch.

"I'm always with Kylian Mbappe and he's never told me anything about leaving in January. The president never told me anything about him leaving in January," PSG's football advisor Luis Campos said.

"I'm here to deny this and say that Kylian never told me or the president that he wanted to leave in January."

Coach Christophe Galtier added: "From a rumour, you make information... I have not talked with Kylian, he is focused on the pitch and he showed tonight what a great player he is."

On the pitch, France forward Mbappe combined well with Neymar but PSG lacked something in attack in the absence of Lionel Messi, who was ruled out of the game with a calf injury he sustained last week in the 1-1 draw at the Estadio da Luz, which was