Mbappe scores late as PSG takes controversial win
Kylian Mbappe scored an 89th-minute winner as Paris Saint-Germain secured a dramatic 3-2 Ligue 1 victory at Brest.
Mbappe’s second goal of the game – knocking home the rebound after Marco Bizot had saved his penalty – gave PSG three hard-fought points after Brest had battled back from 2-0 down.
First-half goals from Warren Zaire-Emery and Mbappe had put PSG in command, but Steve Mounie and Jeremy Le Douaron rocked the French champion either side of the interval.
PSG showed its intent in the opening 10 minutes as Lee Kang-in and Zaire-Emery had powerful shots beaten away by Bizot and Achraf Hakimi fired over from the edge of the box.
Brest responded with Le Douaron shooting in to the side netting after goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma had offered encouragement with a careless pass in his own penalty area.
The opening goal arrived after 16 minutes in sensational fashion as Bradley Barcola found Zaire-Emery after some clever footwork.
The 17-year-old hammered home from 20 yards, his first goal of the season flying past a startled Bizot.
PSG almost doubled its lead when the overworked Bizot tipped over Lee’s effort but, after Mahdi Camara fired over from 20 yards at the other end, the inevitable second did arrive.
Lee released Mbappe with a delicious pass after 28 minutes, and the France forward advanced to score with a shot which took a slight deflection off Brendan Chardonnet to wrong-foot Bizot.
Mbappe went close again before Brest, which had a penalty claim turned down when Barcola tangled with Bradley Locko, halved the deficit two minutes before the break.
Mounie exploited some poor marking on the edge of the six-yard area to meet Kenny Lala’s cross and beat Donnarumma with a firm downward header.
The goal rocked PSG and parity was restored within seven minutes of the restart after Milan Skriniar had thwarted Mounie with a desperate block.
Le Douaron met the resulting in-swinging corner to send a looping header beyond Donnarumma and inside the far post.
Brest was sensing a famous victory after losing its previous 11 games against the Parisian side, and Donnarumma produced a brilliant double stop to deny Pierre Lees-Melou and Le Douaron.
PSG turned to its bench and Vitinha and Ousmane Dembele both saw efforts scrambled clear before Lilian Brassier clumsily challenged substitute Randal Kolo Muani.
The penalty was rewarded after a VAR review, a decision which sparked angry scenes between the two sets of players.
Hugo Magnetti appeared to push his hand into the face of Mbappe before the PSG captain stepped up to take the spot-kick
Mbappe’s kick was pushed out by Bizot but the ball fell kindly for him to stroke home the rebound and, his 10th goal of the league campaign, as PSG made it four successive wins in all competitions.
