Once again disappointing against Olympique Lyonnais, Kylian Mbappé concluded his Parisian adventure without any fireworks. It’s becoming a trend of consecutive lackluster performances for the French star, who is accustomed to shining. With the Euro starting in just over three weeks, is there cause for concern?
“It will be his last match at the Parc in a European competition, you’ll see,” “it will be his last match at the Parc in Ligue 1, you’ll see,” “it will be his last match with PSG, you’ll see.” Despite the assurances from Kylian Mbappé’s fans that their champion would dominate in his final outings with PSG, not much was seen. Just one goal (against Toulouse, in the 1-3 defeat) in his last 5 appearances for PSG.
Two of those performances were particularly underwhelming against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semi-final. Against Olympique Lyonnais on Saturday night, it was the same story in the Coupe de France final. Rated 3.5 by our editorial team, Kylian Mbappé went through the game without making an impact, despite numerous attempts on goal, often forced. Where was the dynamic player who dazzled Ligue 1 for all these years? He has been missing for several weeks now. Physically off, making little difference with the ball at his feet, losing out in duels and even in speed at times, the 25-year-old forward seems far from his best form.
For many, this was the consequence of a season that started off on the wrong foot, due to his planned departure. Benched at the beginning of the season, shuffled around on the left and in the center by Luis Enrique, then regularly benched following the internal announcement of his decision, Mbappé had to overcome numerous hurdles this season. The problem is, he always publicly claimed to be in form, unaffected, and embracing his role as the offensive leader. Yet, this wasn’t really the case. Nevertheless, he finished with the Best Player trophy, and his 27 goals in Ligue 1 once again crowned him top scorer.
However, an unpleasant impression lingers. That of a player without energy, without ideas, who increasingly struggles to connect with his teammates. And naturally, this is worrying just a few weeks before the start of Euro 2024 in Germany. In what physical state will Didier Deschamps receive his player? Will he be able to overcome the mental fatigue of this endless season? And where will he deploy him? On the wing or in the center? For the French team to go far in the competition, they will need a much more convincing Mbappé than the one seen with PSG against Dortmund or Lyon.
Leave a Reply