Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (foto: Getty Images)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is becoming a leading Ballon d’Or candidate after guiding PSG to another Champions League final.
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Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is no longer only one of Europe’s most exciting footballers. He is now becoming a genuine Ballon d’Or contender.
The Paris Saint-Germain winger delivered another outstanding performance in the Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, helping PSG reach a second consecutive final with a 6:5 aggregate victory.
With his assist for Ousmane Dembele’s decisive goal, Kvaratskhelia made Champions League history.
The Georgian became the first player ever to contribute either a goal or an assist in seven consecutive knockout-stage matches during a single Champions League season.
His overall numbers are equally impressive. Kvaratskhelia has already produced 16 direct goal contributions in this season’s competition with ten goals and six assists, matching the output of Kylian Mbappe.
But statistics alone do not fully explain his impact.
Kvaratskhelia has evolved into one of the most complete attacking players in Europe. He dribbles, creates, presses aggressively and constantly tracks back to help defensively.
Against Bayern, he repeatedly recovered possession deep inside his own half before instantly turning defence into attack.
After the match, the Georgian admitted the semi-final against Bayern was PSG’s hardest challenge of the season.
“We are very happy to be in the final. But we have another extremely important match ahead of us,” Kvaratskhelia told Canal+.
“It will be very difficult against Arsenal. Bayern are one of the best teams in the world and I think it was the toughest match of the season.”
Now PSG face another huge test in the final against Arsenal, a side that remains unbeaten in this season’s Champions League and owns the best defensive record in the competition.
Stopping Kvaratskhelia may become their biggest problem.
The Georgian currently looks like the perfect modern winger. He is fast, technically brilliant, relentless without the ball and devastating when running directly at defenders.
Last season, Dembele became the symbol of PSG’s European dominance and eventually won the Ballon d’Or. This year, another PSG player is pushing strongly for football’s biggest individual prize.
Kvaratskhelia’s biggest disadvantage is the absence of a World Cup platform with Georgia, but if no major international superstar dominates the tournament, the Georgian star will remain firmly in the Ballon d’Or conversation.
At the moment, few players in world football are influencing matches at this level so consistently.