Sport

Mbappe still makes PSG Champions League contenders

At 24, Kylian Mbappe is already the all-time top scorer in Paris Saint-Germain’s history. The French international found the back of the net in Saturday’s Ligue 1 win over Nantes to surpass the record previously held by Edinson Cavani with Mbappe a club legend in the eyes of everyone at the Parc des Princes.

“He’s the best striker in the world,” PSG manager Christophe Galtier said. “He was obsessed with scoring that goal. He writes a great page in the history of the club and he writes a great page in French football and a great page in world football. He is, in my eyes, the greatest striker in the world. We are happy to have him in Paris.”

Of course, there is persistent speculation that Mbappe won’t be in Paris for much longer. He might have signed a contract extension to stay at PSG last summer, but reports throughout the season have hinted Mbappe might push for a transfer at the end of the season with Real Madrid still believed to be interested.

It would be understandable if Mbappe desired a fresh start away from the French capital. PSG are in disarray once again with dressing room tension reportedly driving the club’s best players away from each other. Neymar’s off-the-field behaviour has been the subject of national news coverage in Paris – his late night parties and poker events have upset the local mayor.

PSG have been good for Mbappe in that he has become a superstar at the club, and most recently their all-time top scorer. However, the French forward has yet to match what he has achieved in the international game in club football. A player of Mbappe’s quality should have come closer to winning the Champions League by now – Mbappe has only played in one final.

There is still a chance that PSG could win this season’s Champions League, although they have work to do to overturn a 1-0 round of 16 deficit against Bayern Munich. The German champions were deserved winners in the first leg and will fancy their chances of getting the job done at the Allianz Arena this week.

And yet Mbappe could brutally expose Bayern Munich’s weaknesses. Julian Nagelsmann likes to set up his team to play with a high line to suffocate opposition teams with their use of the ball. However, it also gives opponents the opportunity to get in behind with pace on the rapid counter-attack and that’s something PSG have plenty of through Mbappe.

Mbappe was only on the pitch for 30 minutes in the first leg against Bayern Munich, but that was still enough for the PSG forward to pose a threat. The 24-year-old has since started three matches and scored five goals in the process which is enough to suggest he could still fire PSG into the final eight of this season’s Champions League.

Neymar’s latest injury could inadvertently help Galtier in his contraction of a team with a coherent strategy in and out of possession. There is no way for the PSG manager to fill Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar into the same side and now he doesn’t have to, meaning Messi will be the creator and Mbappe will be the out-ball against Bayern Munich.

Bayern Munich might have too much for PSG in the centre of the pitch with Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich and Jamal Musiala capable of controlling a contest against any opponent. If, however, Mbappe is the best striker in the world as Galtier claims his talent could be enough to make PSG contenders.