Kylian Mbappe said Paris Saint-Germain must not feel fear after a 2-0 win at Manchester United established a dominant position in their Champions League last-16 tie.
Mbappe doubled PSG s lead after Presnel Kimpembe gave the Ligue 1 champions the advantage at Old Trafford on Tuesday, with former United winger Angel Di Maria creating both goals.
United s first defeat under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also their heaviest ever home loss in European competition, while Paul Pogba s late red card added to their problems ahead of next month s return leg in Paris.
PSG lost 5-2 on aggregate to Real Madrid in the last 16 a year ago and in 2016-17 they were on the end of one of football s greatest ever comebacks, Barcelona overturning a 4-0 first-leg deficit to progress.
But although PSG have regularly failed in the knockout rounds of the competition, Mbappe urged Thomas Tuchel s side who were without Edinson Cavani and Neymar due to injury to be brave.
Tuchel told me that it was going to be different, that I was going to touch the ball a lot less, Mbappe said to RMC Sport.
It was difficult because I am learning this role [as a central striker] but I am not frustrated.
We must stop feeling fear. Football is played on the field. Neymar and Cavani are ultra-important but people have to support us.
French football must go as far as possible in the Champions League. People must support us, we will support Lyon [against Barca] next week. We must stop being afraid.
3 Kylian Mbappe has become the third player to score in his first three away Champions League appearances in England, after Luis Enrique and Edin Dzeko. Talent.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe)
Only an improbable comeback would see United knock PSG out but Mbappe will not be counting on a place in the last eight until the job is done.
It s not perfect but it s good. Perfect, it will be after the qualification, he said. We are happy but we are only at half-time.
We will continue to prepare well because we had a small physical issue over the last 20 minutes.
It was a really new system. We were not used to it. We needed a little time to adapt.
We came back with better intentions in the second half. We knew they wanted to score and we did it.