hen Kylian Mbappe bounced from Paris Saint-Germain’s dressing-room – his spring was a show of fitness, if not mood – he was wearing a strapping designer backpack. The truth is, Mbappe is carrying this entire club right now.
Superstars such as him do not ordinarily stop to talk to the press. When they do, it is because they have something to say. It is not always obvious as to what. But scratch at the subtleties and the motivation is revealed.
‘Our players have to be in good health for the return leg, everyone needs to eat and sleep well,’ he said, moments after Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat by Bayern Munich in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Considering reports here in France of team-mate Neymar angering neighbours with late-night house parties, it is likely his shots were fired in the Brazilian’s direction. If only PSG had been so cunning on the pitch.
Neymar’s best performance of the past few days was also in the front of the media.
Lionel Messi and Neymar both struggled as Paris Saint-Germain lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich© Provided by Daily Mail
Mbappe offered something in attack when he was introduced after 57 minutes – and that’s despite a thigh injury forcing him to start on the bench © Provided by Daily Mail
To compound matters for PSG, old boy Kingsley Coman scored the first leg’s decisive goal © Provided by Daily Mail
Mbappe thought he’d equalised for PSG late on but he was denied by a VAR offside call© Provided by Daily Mail
That came during Monday’s pre-match briefing at the Parc des Princes. There, too, you detected a swipe at Mbappe. Describing his own value to the team – yes, this was necessary in light of recent form – Neymar referred to himself as ‘humble’.
Given some of the external coverage of PSG’s internal tensions has alleged that Mbappe is as far removed from modest as Neymar is industrious, you wondered if his target was his junior team-mate.
Neymar then swapped his baseball cap for a deerstalker when he launched the hunt for the dressing-room mole who had leaked stories of a heated showdown involving himself and sporting director Luis Campos.
For delivery and plot, a theatre critic would have lauded him with a 10/10, which is seven more than the merit mark he woke up to in L’Equipe on Wednesday morning.
Under the heading, ‘Lost’, the text read: ‘How sad it is to see such an artist lose his football over the last few matches. While he should have been one of those to guide his team to victory, Neymar delivered a very weak performance.
‘Without ideas, without creativity, and with a waste unworthy of his talent, he did not know or was able to take the game on his own.’
Neymar may have been lost in the context of the match, but he was certainly visible throughout. He was the one wandering around in attack, next to Lionel Messi, also the recipient of an ignominious 3/10.
There is a feeling of volatility around PSG at present with clear tension between top players© Provided by Daily Mail
Mbappe started among the PSG substitute after seeing training time limited by his injury© Provided by Daily Mail
Neymar and Lionel Messi apologised to fans on Tuesday after a lacklustre PSG performance© Provided by Daily Mail
The players went over to applaud their hardcore fans but face an uphill struggle in Bavaria © Provided by Daily Mail
L’Equipe’s ratings gave PSG’s side an average score of just 3.9 following the 1-0 defeat© Provided by Daily Mail
If, in attracting such names to Paris, Qatari money talks, it is the players who walk. Quite literally.
The only pressing happening at PSG is that of the panic button. And, on Tuesday, its activation took the form of Mbappe’s second-half introduction.
L’Equipe noted that the 24-year-old is well versed in the role of alleviating the ‘boredom’ of the home crowd. And despite a thigh injury keeping him on the bench for nearly an hour, he had more punch in 30 minutes than Neymar and Messi did for a combined three hours.
Mbappe was still swinging post-match, too, if we interpreted his comments correctly.
Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann was not nearly so cryptic. He said PSG are ‘better with Mbappe’ and admitted he did not expect them to be ‘so passive’. Really? Most observers did.
They are a team – in the loosest sense of the term – clinging to some forlorn hope of their stars shining brightly so as to blind the opposition.
Open your eyes, guys, because you are stumbling towards a cliff edge. You just wonder who will be the first thrown from it.
Julian Nagelsmann was surprised PSG were ‘so passive’ in front of their own fans
Source: msn
