Kylian Mbappé told coach Mauricio Pochettino that Paris Saint-Germain would beat Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, and now he has his sights set on getting one over former club AS Monaco.
Paris Saint-Germain - AS Monaco
- Kick-off: Sunday at 20:00 GMT
Incredibly, certain sections of French football media had suggested that the weight of expectation in Neymar Jr.'s injury-enforced absence might rest heavily on Mbappé's shoulders. But the 22-year-old made a mockery of that analysis on Wednesday, hitting a hat-trick as PSG beat Barcelona 4-1 in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
"Before the match, he asked me how many times I had won at Camp Nou," Pochettino explained. "'Once,' I told him. He replied to me: 'Tomorrow, we are going to win a second time.' He is a top player. Great footballers write their own history."
Mbappé the Magnificent
Mbappé, of course, wrote plenty of history during his five years with Monaco, hitting 15 goals as the principality side denied his current employers the Ligue 1 Uber Eats title in 2017. Since swapping the Stade Louis II for the Parc des Prince that summer he has scored seven times against his former side, including two in November's reverse fixture.
Watch: Highlights of Monaco's 3-2 win over PSG
Cesc Fabregas had the final say that day, however, scoring the final goal in a 3-2 win for Niko Kovac's side after Mbappé and Kevin Volland had exchanged braces. PSG and Monaco were first and fourth respectively that day, and they come into Sunday's clash in similarly lofty league positions.
Paris are in second with a point to make up on leaders LOSC, who were held to a goalless draw by Stade Brestois 29 last Sunday. PSG beat OGC Nice 2-1 on Saturday to close the gap, which could open back up to four, for a matter of hours at least, with les Dogues playing FC Lorient earlier this Sunday.
Thigh strain pain
Thigh injuries mean that Angel Di Maria, Rafinha and Colin Dagba join Neymar on the sidelines, while Juan Bernat is a long-term absentee with a torn ACL, but Pochettino gave the rest of the squad they day off on Wednesday, and is likely to play as close to his full-strength team as possible.
Watch: Highlights of PSG's 2-1 win over Nice
"We must now focus on this Sunday's match against Monaco," he said after the Barca triumph. "Whether at the level of concentration or the level of play, we've shown the best of ourselves. We have to play every game like this. We must therefore continue to work hard and recover as quickly as possible for the next match. It'll be difficult against Monaco."
Monaco are two places and five points behind their hosts coming into Round 25 having been held to a 2-2 draw by Lorient last Sunday. On a longer unbeaten run than Paris - 11 games in all competitions to their hosts' five - they nonetheless had to rely on Wissam Ben Yedder's 90th-minute equaliser to snatch a share of the spoils.
'Make Monaco great again'
"I want my team to be dynamic and attractive," Kovac said in light of that result. "But we're conceding too many goals, which I don't like. But it's a process of evolution. I just hope we can keep hold of our talents for a little bit longer. Our ambition is to make Monaco a great side again."
Watch: Highlights of Monaco's 2-2 draw with L orient
With a mostly clean bill of health, Monaco's starting XI is likely to be more evolution than revolution. Gelson Martins has undergone knee surgery so Krépin Diatta has less competition for his spot on the right of midfield, even if he did come off at half-time against Lorient.
Guillermo Maripan seems to have displaced Axel Disasi as Kovac's first choice central defensive partner for Benoît Badiashile, meanwhile. The 19-year-old France under-21 international is one of the talents Kovac is keenest to keep on the books.
"We could have sold Benoît Badiashile, but I said 'It makes no sense. At 19 years old, he can grow here, get better, maybe get into the France team.'"
The crown jewel
One player who fled the Monaco nest was Mbappé; and given his incredible form - 21 goals and nine assists in all competitions at a clip of one every 73 minutes this season - he could prove to be the difference between the sides this Sunday.
Apparently, it's not so heavy lies the crown.
Possible line-ups
PSG: Navas; Florenzi, Marquinhos, Kimpembe, Kurzawa; Paredes, Gueye; Kean, Verratti, Mbappé; Icardi
Monaco: Lecomte; Aguilar, Disasi, Maripan, Badiashile, Caio Henrique; Fofana, Tchouaméni, Diop, Ben Yedder, Volland