Ancelotti says Mbappe is Europe's best

PARIS • Paris Saint-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino was delighted with his team's performance as they beat Real Madrid in their Champions League last-16, first-leg clash on Tuesday, but had special praise for Kylian Mbappe's sublime late winner.

The forward spared PSG a frustrating night as he skipped through the Real defence in stoppage time to secure a 1-0 home win.

Pochettino expressed satisfaction with how PSG dominated 57 per cent of possession and stifled Real, despite a penalty miss by Lionel Messi which could have won the game earlier.

Calling Mbappe "one of the best players in the world", he joked that his joy at the late goal turned to pain as the Frenchman inadvertently hit his coach's nose during a touchline celebration.

"I have been working with him for just over a year now and you could see tonight just how good a player he is," Pochettino added.

"Mbappe's amazing. He's a great talent. I cannot find more words to praise him. He's amazing."

Real coach Carlo Ancelotti described Mbappe as "unstoppable" and the Spanish giants risk being exposed by his terrifying pace on the break again as they chase the tie in the return leg in three weeks.

"Mbappe is the best player in European football," he said.

"We have tried to control him, but he is a player who always invents something."

The Italian, however, remained optimistic for the second leg but was left ruing his side's struggles in possession. He was, however, unhappy with the yellow cards that will deprive him of Casemiro and Ferland Mendy in Madrid.

Mbappe's importance to PSG was all too evident long before his stoppage-time strike.

The French club reportedly rejected an offer worth up to €180 million (S$275.3 million) from Real in August for the 23-year-old, despite the forward being in the final year of his contract.

Mbappe is still expected to leave at the end of the campaign for Real, the club who have tracked him since he was a teenager.

His late goal on Tuesday came four days after he also scored a last-minute winner in a Ligue 1 game against Rennes.

He has 22 goals this season in all competitions, while PSG's next-highest scorer is Messi with seven.

Indeed Mbappe - Ligue 1's top scorer in the last three seasons - has four more goals than Messi, Mauro Icardi, Angel di Maria and Neymar combined.

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi can only hope a win in the tie can persuade the former Monaco prodigy to sign a new contract.

"Too many questions are asked and too many things are said," Mbappe insisted when asked about the speculation over his future.

"The truth is... I am a PSG player and I am still really happy.

"I said I would give everything here...

"I've not decided my future. I play for PSG, I give my best, then we will see what happens next season."

In contrast, Messi is struggling to reproduce his Barcelona form. The Argentinian has missed five of the 23 penalties he has taken in the Champions League.

The 34-year-old has scored just twice in Ligue 1 this season and two of his five Champions League goals so far came in an inconsequential group game against Club Brugge.

Meanwhile, Neymar made his return as a substitute after 21/2 months out with an ankle injury and helped set up Mbappe's late goal with a crafty back-heel.

There is plenty more to come from the world's most expensive player if he can stay fit, but Mbappe holds the key to European glory and both PSG and Real know it.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE