'Nobody believed it' - Mbappe hails PSG medical staff

Kylian Mbappe paid tribute to PSG’s medical staff for helping him pull off an extraordinary recovery to star in the club’s quarter-final victory against Atalanta.

Paris Saint-Germain headed into Wednesday’s Champions League quarter-final clash with Atalanta unsure if Mbappe would even be available. Head coach Thomas Tuchel, in fact, stated ‘a miracle’ was needed for him to make a timely return.

The striker was on the wrong end of a terrible tackle in PSG’s Coupe de France final win over Saint-Etienne on July 24. It was so bad that he required assistance to leave the pitch. And while Kylian returned to join the title celebrations, the sight of him on crutches was worrying.

But Mbappe kept his head down and worked hard on his recovery with the club’s medical staff. His reappearance to training on Tuesday showed just how well he did. Tuchel then hinted the Frenchman could return and stayed true to his word by naming him on the bench for the Atalanta match.

Mario Pasalic’s opener for Atalanta left PSG on the backfoot, though. It led Tuchel to replace Pablo Sarabia with Mbappe in the final half-hour. What happened next was remarkable.

First, Marquinhos equalized in the dying stages of the match. Kylian then linked up with Neymar to assist Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting for a 93rd-minute winner to seal a 2-1 triumph. Both goals came in the space of 149 seconds.

And after helping PSG reach the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 1995, Mbappe paid tribute to those who helped him make this possible.

“You don’t talk to me about pain,” he wrote on Twitter.

“A big thank you to the medical staff for getting me back on my feet, no one believed it except us.

“Congratulations to the whole group, we want to get this one.”

RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid await the Ligue 1 champions in the semi-finals.

Tu m’parles pas de douleurs…🤪
Un grand merci au staff médical de m’avoir remis sur pied, personne n’y croyait sauf nous.
Félicitations à tout le groupe, on est parti la chercher celle là.

RDV EN DEMI. ICI C’EST PARIS 🔴🔵 pic.twitter.com/Eev67evxQE

— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) August 12, 2020