Gerard Pique under attack as image of him pulling racing Kylian Mbappe's shirt goes viral

- Kylian Mbappe staged a five-star performance as PSG demolished Barcelona 4-1 in the Champions League

- Barcelona's defence struggled to contain the Frenchman who scored a hat-trick to inspire PSG to victory

- But one incident in particular where Pique was spotted clutching on Mbappe's shirt appeared to have captured the Spanish giants' desperation in dealing with the youngster

- Mauricio Pochettino's men now have one foot firmly in the European tournament's quarter finals

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Gerard Pique had a difficult time dealing with Kylian Mbappe on Tuesday night, February 16, as Paris Saint-Germain hammered Barcelona 4-1 in the first leg of their Champions League Round of 16 clash played at Camp Nou.

Mbappe scored a sensational hat-trick during the tie to inspire PSG to a huge win ahead of the second leg to be played in the French capital to decide who qualifies for the quarter-finals.

The French forward used his blistering pace to terrorise Barca's defence who found it hard to contain him.

However, an image of Pique clutching on racing Mbappe's shirt best encapsulated the struggle the Barcelona faced in dealing with the 22-year-old.

The defender's desperate attempt to slow down the PSG ace was mocked online, with football fans making fun of Pique out of the incident.

One joked: "Dear Pique, if you wanted Mbappe's shirt, just ask."

A second noted: "Mbappe looks like a cartoon character there. It's like Pique trying to grab the roadrunner."

Another kicked: "Mbappe: I'm going for your girl; Pique: No; Mbappe: Catch me if you can."

Mbappe's five-star performance saw him attract praise from several quarters, including rival footballers.

"Big player," Borussia Dortmund star Jason Sancho opined.

While Man United star, Marcus Rashford, added: "What a performance" with a fire emoji to describe Mbappe's display.

PSG's win over Barcelona mean they now have one foot firmly in the quarters as they look to replicate their streak from last season when they reached the finals for the first time in the club's history.

However, they went on to lose to Bayern Munich at the time, with the Bundesliga giants carting home the European title.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov was in the stands as PSG defeated Barcelona 4-1 in their first-leg round of 16 tie on Tuesday night, February 16.

Kylian Mbappe found the back of the net three times in the encounter and then a Moise Kean goal for the visitors, despite captain Lionel Messi had put Barcelona ahead early in the game.

The masterclass saw Mbappe being handed the man of the match award on the night but after the game, the Frenchman presented UFC champion Khabib his shirt.