Paris St Germain’s annual moment of life and death in the Champions League has arrived, but this time it comes earlier than usual. As usual, the Ligue 1 champion will fall into a difficult position around February or March and end up with a bad result.
However, this season, tensions have risen before the new year. Before the final match of the group stage, PSG was still not sure of its place in the knock-out round. Their mission is very clear: defeat Dortmund – the team that is sure to advance, to determine their own fate. A draw or a defeat can also help PSG advance, but they must depend on the results of the remaining matches.
In any case, a team of many PSG stars should not fall into this situation. All eyes will now be on Kylian Mbappe, who is always expected whenever PSG falls into a difficult position.
Despite all the rumors of his departure, Mbappe is still a PSG player and the brightest star at Parc de Princes. And while still under contract with PSG, Kylian’s priority is to win the Champions League. In front of the French striker and his teammates is the task of getting through the group stage.
Mbappe’s achievements in the Champions League create many different opinions. Statistics show that Mbappe, at the age of 24, is already one of the most successful players in the tournament. The former AS Monaco striker has scored 43 goals, more than Wayne Rooney, Arjen Robben and Sergio Aguero, and equal to former teammate Neymar. At the current pace, barring injury or sudden decline, Mbappe can reach Cristiano Ronaldo’s record of 140 goals in the tournament.
But the Champions League is not about goals, it’s about moments. Typically what Steven Gerrard did in Istanbul, Zinedine Zidane in Glasgow or Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in Barcelona. However, Mbappe has never really had outstanding achievements in the Champions League since becoming a star.
Certainly, Mbappe’s goal against Man City while playing for Monaco in 2017 is still remembered. Or this striker’s hat-trick against Barcelona in the round of 16 in 2020 is not bad. However, since then, Mbappe has not been able to shine like that in the most important matches.
Much of Mbappe’s European career so far has been dominated by failures with PSG. The fact that the French player rarely drops back to support the defense is also the cause of those failures.
Rumors about Mbappe leaving in the upcoming summer have been circulating again recently. And so, if this is his last chance to bring European success to PSG, it hasn’t gone well.
PSG started the Champions League season relatively smoothly with a 2-0 victory over Dortmund. However, Luis Enrique’s mistake in choosing the 4-2-4 formation caused PSG to lose 1-4 to Newcastle in the next match.
Since then, the Ligue 1 champion’s performance at the Champions League playground has become erratic. They defeated AC Milan at home, before losing 1-2 in the second leg. In the penultimate match, PSG was fortunate to have a 1-1 draw against Newcastle with Mbappe’s controversial goal.
All of that makes PSG enter the match against Dortmund with a difficult mindset to ensure their place in the next round. The Bundesliga representative is sure to pass the group stage but still desires to win.
Mbappe has repeatedly promised to bring PSG to glory in Europe. And until now, the French striker is still trying to do everything to ensure that promise. Mbappe is in good form, scoring 18 goals in 19 matches in all competitions, and the number of assists has also increased significantly.
However, Mbappe’s Champions League statistics are not entirely convincing. PSG’s vice-captain scored 3 goals in 5 matches, including 2 goals coming from the penalty spot. Big matches – away defeats to Newcastle and Milan were among Mbappe’s worst performances. He did not have any shots on target in St. James’ Park and almost disappeared at San Siro.
PSG having to play in the Europa League would be unacceptable, despite the current rebuilding process. That would also almost prompt Mbappe to leave. However, the responsibility will also belong to Mbappe himself, who has been greatly favored by PSG over the years.
In short, if PSG fails in the Champions League, it is also a failure for Mbappe personally.