Kylian Mbappé grabbed the first goal and emerging winger Bradley Barcola added the second as Paris Saint-Germain beat Real Sociedad 2-0 in the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday.
Sociedad dominated the game for long spells despite missing key players through injury, until Mbappé’s goal in the 58th minute.
The breakthrough came when Marquinhos headed on Ousmane Dembélé’s corner from the right and Mbappé was unmarked at the back post to volley in. A few minutes later, his strike from the edge of the penalty area was tipped onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Álex Remiro.
Remiro was beaten again in the 70th when the speedy Barcola broke down the left, skipped past right back Hamari Traoré with ease and poked the ball in — prompting coach Luis Enrique to jump off the bench to celebrate.
Sociedad went scoreless for a fifth straight game in all competitions.
“We managed to score at key moments in the game. We have a good lead,” Mbappé told broadcaster Canal Plus. “The clean sheet is important for us, we’ve been looking for that in the Champions League, although it’s true that they (Sociedad) have not not been scoring much at the moment.”
There was relief, too, that Mbappé lasted the whole game.
Mbappé’s sore left ankle kept him on the bench for Saturday’s French league game, but he showed no ill effects when he latched onto Dembelé’s pass and forced a save in the sixth minute.
After that chance, however, PSG’s intensity dropped right off.
Even though Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil was without goal-scoring midfielder Mikel Oyarzabal and left back Kieran Tierney, the intensity and organization of Sociedad’s high pressing pushed PSG back at a subdued Parc des Princes.
André Silva glanced a header wide and captain Mikel Merino struck the crossbar with a superb dipping shot from 25 meters moments before the break.
“It’s evident that we had trouble getting out of their pressing game in the first half. We should have shown more character to get out of it, as we were eight (players) against six,” Mbappé said. “The return leg will be more open, they will attack more and we will be given more space. If we get the space over 40 meters, I think we will score over there.”
Marquinhos said Enrique gave the players a stern talking to at the break.
“He was very angry in the dressing room, and that’s good,” Marquinhos said. “It’s important for the team. He managed to motivate us to bring the ball out more from the back.”
Mbappé’s goal took pressure off his teammates and allowed the 21-year-old Barcola — a summer signing from Lyon — more freedom to attack and net his first goal in the Champions League.
“It’s a childhood dream come true,” Barcola said.
Despite huge spending, PSG has been eliminated from the last 16 five times in the past seven seasons.
A quarterfinal place seems within reach, however, heading to San Sebastián for the return leg on March 5.
In the other last-16 game, veteran striker Ciro Immobile ‘s penalty gave Lazio a 1-0 win against Bayern Munich.
