Kylian Mbappe helped record 14-time champions Paris Saint-Germain avoid an embarrassing slip-up with a 9-0 rout at sixth-tier amateurs Revel in the French Cup on Sunday.
Revel’s young supporters had implored Mbappe to make the trip to the game played at Castres – Revel’s humble stadium only has capacity for 2,000 fans in the Haute-Garonne south-western region – in a video posted on social media.
And they got their wish with the 25-year-old star included in manager Luis Enrique’s strong travelling party to the leaders of Regional 1, five rungs below the capital giants in the French league ladder.
“Kylian wanted to play and when he wants to play there’s not a lot you can say,” said Luis Enrique.
Mbappe evidently enjoyed his night out in the town near Toulouse, scoring a hat-trick to become PSG’s top scorer in the competition with a haul of 30 goals.
“When he plays everyone wins – the staff, the fans, the rivals,” added the PSG coach.
Revel defender Maxence N’Guesson did get on the scoresheet but sadly for an own goal as the first half drew to a close.
PSG are hungry to add to their cup tally after missing out on the title in the past two seasons.
“The French Cup is one of our objectives this season, we know its importance,” Luis Enrique said before the game.
PSG were knocked out by Nice in 2022 and last season by Marseille, who also progressed from the round of 64 with a narrow win at Thionville, the hosts four leagues below the south coast giants – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s 62nd minute shot making the difference.
Monaco also lived to fight another day but only after a 6-5 penalty shoot out win over Ligue 1 rivals Lens after the teams were locked at 2-2.
On Saturday, having travelled nearly 7,000km from the Caribbean island of Martinique, Golden Lion got a 12-0 mauling from Ligue 1 big guns Lille.
