PSG Star Mbappe Opens Year in Style With Hat Trick, Scores 150th Club Goal

• Paris Saint-Germain advanced to the last-16 of the Coupe de France on Monday, January 3, after victory over fourth-tier Vannes
• Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half hat-trick in his first match of 2022 to inspire PSG to a 4-0 victory
• PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino played a much-changed side but Mbappe inspired them to victory

France forward Kylian Mbappe opened the year in grand style as he netted his first hat-trick of 2022 as PSG secured a round of 16 birth in the Coupe de France on Monday night, January 3, the Daily Mail reports.

The striker scored all his three goals in a space of 17-minutes in the second half as he inspired a much-changed PSG side lacking the services of several key players with Neymar still out injured and Lionel Messi contracting Covid-19 into the next round of the French Cup.

Speaking to Ligue 1 website after the match, Mbappe describes reaching the 150 goal mark for PSG as an honour and aims to break more records with the Parisans.

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"It's an honour scoring so many goals for such a big club is always nice,"

"There are only three of us, and the gap between us is closing more and more. I'm lucky enough to play alongside two great players. I know that Ibrahimović isn't far off, but the most important thing is that we're through and that we keep preparing well for the matches coming up."

Presnel Kimpembe had opened the scoring against fourth-tier French side Vannes before Mbappe opened his goal account in the 59th after he raced clear of his markers from Kimpembe's pass.

The 23-year old forward would later get his second in the 71st-minute and rounded up his hat trick five minutes later to complete a resounding victory for PSG.

Kylian Mbappe is now just six goals behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic but fifty behind the club's all-time top-scorer Edinson Cavani on 200 goals.

The next stage of PSG's Coupe de France title defence comes in the round of 16, to be played on 29 and 30 January 2022.

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Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi Contracts Covid19, Argentinian DJ Fer Palacio Denies Giving It to Him

Earlier Sportsbrief had reported Argentinian DJ Fer Palacio finds himself in hot water after accusations started doing the rounds that he had infected Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi with Covid19.

The Argentinian playmaker is currently one of four PSG players who are sidelined due to Covid19.

DJ Fer Palacio has since received death threats as many believe that he is the reason for Messi catching Covid19. He took to Instagram with a video where he spoke of how people were blaming him now and even proved that he does not have Covid19.