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Posted: 2022-02-15 23:26:28

Kylian Mbappe has saved his team again, scoring a brilliant solo goal deep into injury time as Paris Saint-Germain beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 match.

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After taking a back-heeled pass from substitute Neymar in the fourth and final minute of injury time, Mbappe cut inside two players down the left and shot the ball between the legs of goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Courtois had the starring role until then, denying Mbappe early in each half and then stopping Lionel Messi's penalty in the 61st minute, which was awarded after Mbappe was fouled by right back Dani Carvajal.

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Courtois guessed correctly and dived to his left for a fine stop.

PSG threw on Neymar for the last 20 minutes as the Brazil standout made his return from a sprained ankle, while Madrid's star forward Karim Benzema shook off a hamstring injury and faced ex-club rival Messi and France teammate Mbappe.

Mbappe is out of contract at the end of the season and remains heavily linked with a move to Madrid, which had an offer of 180 million euros ($204 million) rejected by PSG last summer.

Now the Spanish giant might get arguably the world's most dangerous striker for free.

Meanwhile, Manchester City was so good in its Champions League tie that even opposing fans couldn't help but applaud.

When Phil Foden side-footed home the third of City's four first-half goals in a 5-0 win over Sporting in the last 16, it wasn't just the vocal away fans showing their appreciation inside the Estádio José Alvalade.

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Some of the home supporters were also seen clapping in recognition of one of the most dominant performances ever seen at this stage of Europe's top club competition.

Helping inflict the humiliation were four players who once played for Sporting's fierce Lisbon rival, Benfica. One of them was Bernardo Silva, who scored two of the goals — his first an outrageous half-volley that flew in off the underside of the crossbar.

Riyad Mahrez began the demolition in the seventh minute with a close-range volley that was only given after a long video review.

Silva then scored in the 17th and 44th minutes — either side of Foden's well-worked team goal in the 32nd — as City went into half time leading 4-0.

Raheem Sterling curled in a sublime fifth in the 58th and Pep Guardiola's team can start planning for the quarterfinals, even with the second leg still to come in three weeks.

AP

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