Lionel Messi just shone with a free kick to help PSG beat Lille 4-3 in the minute of injury, but French newspaper So Foot only appreciated Kylian Mbappe’s performance.
Neymar and Messi both scored a goal in the 4-3 win over Lille on February 19. And Mbappe has a double. This is the first time the “MNM” trio has scored in the same match since October 2022. However, So Foot said that the word “trio” is no longer appropriate to describe them. Mbappe was almost alone throughout the match. And Messi and Neymar became “two South American assistants who sometimes accompany”.
So Foot commented that Messi is lucky that Mbappe is not yet a top free kick expert. Therefore, the best player of the 2022 World Cup has the opportunity to take a free kick to set a 4-3 victory in the 90+5 minute.
The newspaper recalled that PSG played like losers in the first half of the 0-1 defeat to Bayern on February 14, because Mbappe was on the bench. Everything changed when the French striker entered the field at the beginning of the second half. The 24-year-old superstar could have scored more than two goals, if not denied by VAR.
So Foot also compared Mbappe’s form with the first leg against Lille in August 2022. At that time, the French star became the man of the match with a hat-trick. In this match, PSG won 7-1. Mbappe’s eighth-second opening goal is the fastest in Ligue 1 history.
“Back as a starting player, Kylian Mbappe carried PSG to avoid a fourth consecutive defeat,” So Foot added. “The impressive double and many different ball moves are enough to say that Mbappe makes an impact everywhere. His presence on the pitch seems to completely change the team’s approach to the game. Team-mates. Mbappe’s is more confident and everything is fine, or so.”
Main developments of the match PSG 4-3 Lille on February 19.
Not only playing well on the field, Mbappe also matured through activities off the pitch. When asked about Neymar’s outing after the defeat to Bayern and the injury in the win against Lille, the 24-year-old replied: “I never condemn Neymar for having to live in moderation. The only thing I want at the moment. The thing is, he doesn’t have a serious injury. PSG needs Neymar.”
Coach Christophe Galtier also acknowledged Mbappe’s irreplaceable role at PSG . After the defeat to Bayern, he said: “I can’t do anything else before Mbappe comes on. You have more chances of winning with him.”
PSG are leading Ligue 1 with 57 points after 24 matches, five points ahead of second-placed Marseille. PSG also has not run out of opportunities to continue in the Champions League . If Mbappe and his teammates play well in the second leg on March 8, the French team can completely win against Bayern. In the quarter-finals of the 2020-2021 season, PSG won 3-2 on the field of Bayern.
