Ethan Mbappé came back to haunt his former club Paris Saint-Germain as the teenager struck a late equaliser for Lille in a dramatic 1-1 Ligue 1 draw on Sunday, denying the champions all three points at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.
The 18-year-old, younger brother of PSG superstar Kylian Mbappé, stepped off the bench to rescue Lille with a fine finish just minutes before full time and right in front of his watching sibling in the stands.
Despite the late setback, the draw was enough to move injury-hit PSG a point clear at the top of the French league table.
Luis Enrique’s side, heavily rotated for the trip north, struggled to find their rhythm in a sluggish first half.
Former PSG full-back Thomas Meunier almost punished his old team on 31 minutes, only for Lucas Hernandez to make a vital block.
Moments later, Bradley Barcola missed a golden opportunity when clean through on goal, dragging his shot wide.
The second half opened up, with Lille veteran Olivier Giroud attempting an audacious overhead kick and Nabil Bentaleb testing PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier.
The visitors responded through Lee Kang-in and Barcola before Enrique’s substitutions turned the tide.
In the 66th minute, Nuno Mendes, returning from injury, produced a moment of magic, curling a stunning 30-yard free-kick into the top corner to hand PSG the lead.
However, Lille refused to give in. With eight minutes left, Ethan Mbappé entered the fray, and his impact was instant.
After Achraf Hakimi squandered a good chance to double PSG’s advantage, the young midfielder took centre stage, cutting inside onto his left foot and firing low through Lucas Beraldo’s legs to beat Chevalier at his near post.
The late strike sealed a memorable moment for the younger Mbappé, who ensured the spotlight shone on him — not his famous brother, as Lille snatched a share of the spoils.
