At halftime, PSG coach Enrique vented his anger and disappointment in the dressing room, urging his players to step up. Despite missing key players due to injury, Real Sociedad had dominated the first leg of the Champions League last 16. With the PSG crowd growing restless, Mbappe responded swiftly, scoring a goal within 13 minutes of the second half.
“He was very angry in the dressing room, and that’s good,” said PSG captain Marquinhos. “It’s important for the team. He managed to motivate us to bring the ball out more from the back.”
The halftime talk seemed to have the desired effect as PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, their most reliable goal-scorer, broke the deadlock in the 58th minute. Marquinhos headed on a corner from Ousmane Dembélé, finding Mbappé unmarked at the back post to volley in. Remiro managed to tip Mbappe’s subsequent strike onto the crossbar, but the Frenchman wasn’t to be denied. In the 70th minute, he struck again, beating Remiro with a well-placed shot after a dazzling run past Sociedad’s defense. Coach Enrique’s animated celebration on the sidelines reflected the importance of Mbappe’s goals in turning the tide for PSG.