Ferdinand on Mbappe: It's 'illegal' to be so good at 18
Ex-United defender in awe of Mbappe who says he's 'just getting started'
Rio Ferdinand was so bowled over by Kylian Mbappe's performance that he said it was "illegal" for the French wonderkid to be so good at such a tender age.
The 18-year-old did not score in Paris St Germain's Champions League 3-0 Group B win over German giants Bayern Munich at the Parc des Princes yesterday morning (Singapore time), but he was singled out for praise for setting up Edinson Cavani and Neymar's goals.
Defender Dani Alves gave the French giants the lead inside 90 seconds.
"It's too much. It's illegal what he's doing," former Manchester United defender Ferdinand defender joked on BT Sport.
"It shouldn't be allowed. As 18-year-olds, we are just getting into the team and getting our feet under the table.
"He's in there making a difference on the Champions League stage in a team of superstars.
"It's amazing to see. It's beautiful to watch - I love it."
Mbappe, with his frightening pace and skill, set up Cavani's magnificent strike that made it 2-0 in the 31st minute and left David Alaba for dead as he dragged the ball to his left before teeing up Neymar to score in the 63rd minute.
And the former Monaco star warned that he was just getting started.
"The story is only just beginning," Mbappe told Canal+ after the match.
"We knew in our hearts that we had to put in a great performance against a great team. We did that.
"Expectations were high, which is normal after a summer transfer window like ours.
"It was a complete performance and now we move on to the next match on Saturday. We are here to win every game."
Mbappe got the biggest roar of the night from the 45,000 home fans when he made way for Angel di Maria in the 79th minute.
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Kylian Mbappe - 7
Wayne Rooney - 3
Patrick Kluivert - 2
Lionel Messi - 1
Cristiano Ronaldo - 0
Thierry Henry - 0
Ronaldo - 0Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 0
PSG coach Unai Emery hailed his "complete" performance.
"Kylian is progressing well. He has great talent and great desire to help the team grow," said Emery.
"The idea when we signed him was that he would help the team grow and the team would help him grow, too. His was a complete performance."
The teenager was making just his second appearance at Parc des Princes since arriving from Monaco on an initial loan deal that will become permanent next year, for a fee rising to 180 million euros (S$287.4m) with bonuses.
Only Neymar, at 222m euros, costs more in the history of football and, along with Cavani, PSG look to have a potentially Champions League-winning strike force.
The "MCN" attack has now scored 18 goals between them this season, but they must avoid the kind of tensions that marred the recent Ligue 1 win over Lyon, when Cavani and Neymar argued over who should take a penalty.
"Normally we control games with possession against deep-lying defences. Today, they defended higher and had the ball, but we controlled the game without it," added Emery, whose side have scored eight goals and conceded none in two European outings.
"In the Champions League, we must never think we are the best because we are not. There are lots of strong sides, and Bayern came here to impose themselves," said midfielder Marco Verratti.
"I think the way we played, defending well and not conceding, (title-holders) Real Madrid have played very well like that in the last two years." - WIRE SERVICES
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