Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) defeated Montpellier 6-2 away at the Stade de la Moson in Montpellier, France, on Oct. 18 (KST) in the 26th round of the 2023-24 Ligue 1 season.
PSG ace Mbappe was the star of the show. Mbappe assisted Vitinha's opening goal in the 14th minute before adding a second in the 22nd minute. He then scored five minutes into the second half before Montpellier equalized with two goals before halftime.
Mbappe's goal put PSG back in front before Lee Kang-in added another to extend the lead. Eight minutes into the second half, after exchanging two-on-one passes with Kolo Mouani, Lee rattled the Montpellier net with a stunning left-footed mid-range shot from outside the penalty box that found the top corner of the net.
Lee made his Ligue 1 debut in November last year, scoring in the 11th round home game against Montpellier. He then found the Montpellier net again for his second Ligue 2 goal.
After Lee's goal, Mbappe struck again 18 minutes into the second half to complete his hat trick. Nuno Mendes added a goal in the 44th minute to complete PSG's 6-2 victory over Montpellier.
With the win in their final match before the March A-match break, PSG increased their points tally to 59 (W17 D8 L1) and consolidated their position at the top of the league. With just eight games remaining until the end of the season, the gap on second-placed Brest (47 points) has grown to 12 points, bringing PSG's third consecutive title closer.
Meanwhile, the post-match ceremony between Lee and Mbappe was the talk of the town. After scoring, Lee immediately ran to Mbappe and embraced him. The two then pumped their fists towards the stands.
The two shared their joy together and showed off their friendship on social media. Mbappe tagged Lee on social media after the game, calling him HIJO (son). He even added a "kiss" and "heart" emoji to a photo of Lee running toward Mbappe.
Lee also shared the story on his social media, calling Mbappe "le 사설토토 meilleur du monde" (the best man in the world) in French, and added three soccer ball emojis to recognize Mbappe's hat trick that day.
The close relationship between the two players has attracted the attention of the UEFA Champions League. The UEFA Champions League's official social media accounts noted the "bromance" between the two players on Aug. 18, posting a photo of Lee and Mbappe sharing the spotlight with a smiley face emoji.
Lee joined PSG from Spanish La Liga side RCD Mallorca last summer and quickly bonded with Mbappe, becoming close friends.
On the training ground, the two players were often seen together and happy, and that continued on the pitch. When Lee scored his debut goal against Montpellier at home last November, Mbappe ran straight to him to celebrate with him.
On February 20, Mbappe wished Lee a happy birthday on Instagram. "Happy birthday my brother," he wrote, showing his affection.
On February 6, Lee came on as a second-half substitute in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg against Real Sociedad in the 2023-24 season, setting up Mbappe's second goal in a 2-1 win. After defeating Sociedad by a combined score of 4-1 in the first leg, PSG will face Barcelona, one of the world's top clubs, in the quarterfinals.
However, the bromance between the two players, which is also being monitored by UEFA, is likely to end after this season. Mbappe, whose contract with PSG expires on June 30, has been heavily linked with a move to Spain's Real Madrid and is expected to leave PSG and part ways with Lee.
