Kylian Mbappe: Fans Slam PSG Star After Dismal Outing Against Barcelona in Champions League

Kylian Mbappe: Fans Slam PSG Star After Dismal Outing Against Barcelona in Champions League

Isaac Darko
updated at April 11, 2024 at 6:42 AM
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  • Football fans were not happy with the performance of Kylian Mbappe against Barcelona
  • The Frenchman played the full duration of the tie but failed to inspire Paris Saint-Germain
  • PSG suffered a 3-2 loss at home to the Catalan giants in the first leg of the quarter-final

Criticism has been directed towards Kylian Mbappe following his subdued performance in Paris Saint-Germain's 3-2 defeat to Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.

The Parisians endured a quarter-final first-leg loss at their home turf - Parc des Princes - on Wednesday night.

Luis Enrique's team now faces a significant challenge in the upcoming second-leg tie at Barcelona's Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys next Tuesday.

Kylian Mbappe competes with Ronald Araujo & Jules Kounde during the Champions League quarter-final first leg match between PSG and Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe competes with Ronald Araujo and Jules Kounde during the Champions League quarter-final first leg match between PSG and Barcelona. Photo by Chris Brunskill.
Source: Getty Images

Raphinha scored first for Barcelona with a brilliant strike in the 37th minute. Although Xavi's team dominated the first half, PSG quickly responded early in the second half to change the game's momentum.

Ousmane Dembele, playing against his former club, netted his second goal for the Parisians with a powerful shot into the top corner in the 48th minute.

Just two minutes later, Vitinha secured the lead for the hosts with a neat finish. The lead was short-lived as Raphinha scored his second with a precise volley after 12 minutes.

Andreas Christensen, a substitute, sealed the victory for Barca in the 77th minute by powering a header past PSG goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, via GOAL.

How did Mbappe fare in UCL QF?

Barcelona's formidable defence effectively contained Mbappe, with Jules Kounde efficiently neutralising the threat posed by his compatriot.

The French superstar managed only three shots, won a mere two out of 10 ground duels, and completed just one of four dribble attempts.

His outing raised questions, especially with an anticipated transfer to Barcelona's rivals, Real Madrid, reportedly looming on the horizon.

Fans roast Mbappe online

However, fans have criticised Mbappe following his performance against the Catalan giants. One fan went as far as to ridicule PSG's record goal-scorer by drawing comparisons to his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo.

@HonestPenaldo posted:

"Ghosted like his idol Penaldo."

@the_berneese wrote:

"We cooked Mbappe in his own house."

@idoxvi said:

"I hope Real Madrid fans saw this Mbappe performance and realized that he’s not the player they think he is."

@Ruf_ayi added:

"Luis Enrique has blood on his hands for not playing Mbappe against Barcelona."

@Opresii commented:

"I now understand why Enrique benches Mbappe… man is not even making any effort just walking around."

Xavi: 'Barca still not favourites'

Sports Brief also reported that Xavi Hernandez reckons that Barcelona are still UCL underdogs despite beating PSG to claim a first-leg advantage in their quarterfinal tie.

While the result gives La Blaugrana a slight advantage going into the second leg game next Tuesday, Xavi is adamant that his side are not be considered as favourites.

Authors
Isaac Darko photo
Isaac Darko
Isaac Darko is a La Liga, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga editor at Sports Brief with a Degree in Journalism and Communications from Ghana Institute of Journalism (2010)