Burkina Faso
Chinese Taipei
Nigeria

PSG's Kylian Mbappe equals record for most Ligue 1 goal contributions

sportsmole.co.uk, 22 April 2023, 11:28
Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe wrote his name into another chapter of Ligue 1 history with his brace in Friday's 2-1 win over Angers.

Les Parisiens moved one step closer to retaining their title courtesy of a nervy win over the division's basement side, who succumbed to an early double from Mbappe before the half-hour mark.

With nine minutes on the clock, Lionel Messi spotted the run of Juan Bernat into the box, and the Spaniard cut back for Mbappe, who miskicked his first effort but managed to swivel and fire home at the second attempt.

The Messi-Mbappe combination would soon unlock the Scoistes defence for the Frenchman's second of the night, as the Argentine's stunning through ball set Mbappe away, and he skipped past Paul Bernardoni before firing home into an empty net.

Christophe Galtier's side would endure a nail-biting end to the game as Sada Thioub pulled one back for Angers in the 87th minute, but the champions held on for a less-than-convincing triumph.

Having added another two strikes to his tally at the Stade Raymond Kopa, Mbappe now sits on a whopping 214 direct contributions in Ligue 1, scoring 157 goals while setting up 57 more.

In doing so, Mbappe has now equalled the record for the most goal contributions in the French top flight since data became available in 2006-07, going level with Marseille's Dimitri Payet.

Still going strong with Les Olympiens at the age of 36, Payet has scored two goals and set up three more in 21 Ligue 1 appearances this season and could quickly surpass Mbappe again when Marseille face Lyon in Sunday's Choc des Olympiques.

While Payet's influence has somewhat waned for Marseille this season, Mbappe now has 22 goals and five assists to his name from 28 Ligue 1 games this term, taking his total to 34 goals and nine assists from 37 games in all tournaments this term.

The 24-year-old - who surpassed Edinson Cavani as PSG's highest goalscorer of all time last month - is also third in the club's all-time assist charts with 86, only behind Safet Susic (103) and Angel Di Maria (112).

Mbappe still has some way to go to break the all-time Ligue 1 goalscoring record, though, with his 157 strikes putting him joint-16th in the category, 142 behind outright leader Delio Onnis (299).

PSG's success at Angers saw the champions open up an 11-point lead over Lens at the top of the table with six games left to play, but Galtier was far from happy with his side's passive showing.

"It was like against Lens last week, it was complete slacking. We just pushed the ball around without any rhythm or desire to put the game to bed," Galtier told Amazon Prime.

"We are Paris Saint-Germain, we can't afford to play only one half, and that's what we did. There was not much in the second half. Even if some of our players have played 50 games this season, it's still insufficient over the duration of a match."

PSG return to home comforts at the Parc des Princes next Sunday for a tie with mid-table Lorient.

Top News

20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe may reportedly not be involved in the Coupe de France final. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly set an asking price for one of their more experienced players ahead of the summer transfer window. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Serbia's preliminary squad for Euro 2024 has been named by head coach Dragan Stojkovic, who has called upon an initial 35 players for the national team training camp before their flight to Germany. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk West Ham United are reportedly set to announce the appointment of David Moyes's successor as manager 'later this week'. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Brasileirao Serie A side Corinthians take on Serie D America de Natal in the second leg of the Copa do Brasil third round at the Neo Quimica Arena on Thursday morning. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner has issued a fresh update on the futures of in-demand trio Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze and Jean-Philippe Mateta ahead of the summer transfer window. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United and Bayern Munich are reportedly among a number of clubs interested in signing Red Bull Salzburg centre-back Oumar Solet. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City midfielder Rodri has claimed that Arsenal lacked the 'mentality' to win the Premier League title and has criticised the Gunners for not wanting to beat them at the Etihad Stadium earlier this season. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk ADO Den Haag and SBV Excelsior will be looking to boost their chances of playing Eredivisie football next season when they square off in the first leg of their playoff semi-final on Wednesday. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final chapter has closed on a captivating 2023-24 Premier League season, one which saw Manchester City earn another slice of English football history as the first team to win four Premier League titles on the spin. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The final chapter has closed on a captivating 2023-24 Premier League season, one which saw Manchester City earn another slice of English football history as the first team to win four Premier League titles on the spin. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Aston Villa may reportedly be prepared to be creative in a bid to sign Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Tottenham Hotspur have reportedly made the decision to part ways with Ryan Sessegnon on a free transfer. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester United have reportedly decided on an asking price for winger Jadon Sancho ahead of the summer transfer window. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk England Under-17s manager Greg Lincoln has named his 21-man squad for the upcoming European Championships in Cyprus, with the inclusion of two highly-rated North London products. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk No coronavirus-enforced stoppages. No matches behind closed doors. No schedule-conflicting World Cup breaks over the Christmas period. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Botafogo can qualify for the last 16 of the Copa do Brasil for a third successive campaign with a win or draw in the second leg of their third-round tie against Vitoria on Wednesday at Estadio Manoel Barradas. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Two sides in early relegation danger in their respective domestic competitions will be seeking a place in the last 16 of the Copa do Brasil as Atletico Goianiense welcome Brusque to Estadio Antonio Accioly on Wednesday. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Needing at least a two-goal victory to have any hope of advancing beyond the third round of the Copa do Brasil, Sampaio Correa face a tall task when they head to the Maracana on Wednesday to battle Fluminense. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The season is over and while the transfer window doesn't technically open until June 14, clubs across the UK and Europe are free to get deals in place ahead of next season. 20 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Salernitana vs. Hellas Verona (Monday, 5.30pm) Hellas Verona travel to rock-bottom Salernitana on Monday evening, hoping to secure their Serie A status for another season. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On Tuesday, England Under-17s will kick off the European Under-17 Championship with a tricky game against last year's runners-up France Under-17s. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk The Manchester United squad are apparently facing the prospect of a mammoth pay cut due to their failure to qualify for the 2024-25 Champions League. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk David Moyes believes he is leaving West Ham United having enjoyed a "successful" period as the club's manager and hopes they can reach new heights in the 2024-25 season. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk On Tuesday, Spain Under-17s will face Iberian rivals Portugal Under-17s on matchday one of the European Under-17 Championship. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta issued a short, sharp response when asked if the injury that kept Bukayo Saka out of Sunday's 2-1 win over Everton could harm his chances of playing for England at Euro 2024. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has paid an emotional tribute to Liverpool's departing boss Jurgen Klopp following his final match in charge of the Reds at Anfield on Sunday. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk A Liverpool academy graduate scored a landmark Premier League goal in the Reds' 2-0 beating of Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield on the final day. 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola is confident that Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side will continue to challenge his Manchester City team for the Premier League title for "many years". 19 May 2024 sportsmole.co.uk Pep Guardiola has admitted that he is "closer to leaving than staying" at Manchester City after leading the club to a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.