Kylian Mbappé was a scorer and decisive passer against Strasbourg on Saturday in Ligue 1. But at his side, no one stands out while Ousmane Dembélé and Randal Kolo Muani struggle to stand out.
In the French team or at PSG, there is Kylian Mbappé and the others. It’s very simple, for a coach or coach, he must necessarily be the first name on the match sheet. The international started against Strasbourg (3-0), at the Parc des Princes on Saturday October 21, during the 9th day of Ligue 1, while Luis Enrique had nevertheless decided to blow a large majority of his typical team.
Penalty scorer (1-0, 10th) and decisive passer for Carlos Soler (2-0, 31st), “the kid from Bondy” was the great architect of the Parisian club’s fifth success in the championship, of which he temporarily takes over the lead before Nice-Marseille (Saturday, 9 p.m.). Author of nine goals this season with Paris, he obviously stands out as essential. Which none of his attacking buddies can boast of.
Missed entry for Kolo Muani and Dembélé
Four days before a very important trip to AC Milan in the Champions League, the Spanish coach had largely reshuffled his starting lineup: Warren Zaire-Emery, injured, Achraf Hakimi, Milan Skriniar, Manuel Ugarte on the bench as Ousmane Dembélé and Randal Kolo Muani.
For the last two named, there was certainly a desire to give them a break after the international break, where they did little. There was, perhaps also, the ambition to relaunch competition on the attacking front as the two French internationals who arrived this summer are not convincing. In ten matches with PSG, Ousmane Dembélé has still not scored while Randal Kolo Muani has planted twice in seven matches.
Saturday, in a rain-soaked Parc des Princes, they entered together after the hour mark (66th) and did not really show a better face than with the Blues. Randal Kolo Muani was particularly discreet. On his right side, Ousmane Dembélé made numerous bad choices (70th, 75th) or technical inaccuracies (71st, 84th). In line with the start of his adventure in the capital. “For me, there is absolutely no problem with Dembélé”said Luis Enrique in a press conference after the match, about the former FC Barcelona player, speaking of him as a “single player”.
Barcola scores points
The cards could nevertheless be reshuffled because the evening holders showed good things. Bradley Barcola was the most enterprising on the left wing despite, at times, a bit of waste. His complicity with Kylian Mbappé is already well in place. She was at the origin of the penalty caused by Gonçalo Ramos and transformed by the 2018 world champion (1-0, 10th). “It’s good to discover the association of players who have not yet been able to play together”rejoiced the Spanish technician about this duo.
Just back after his Asian Games title with South Korea, Kang-in Lee was also a starter. His contribution was more discreet than Bradely Barcola but mainly because the game leaned to the opposite, to the left, where Kylian Mbappé tends to dezone as a priority.
His profile and his volume of play above all offer the possibility for Luis Enrique to once again line up an attacking quartet. But this time with a team much more balanced than the one which took on water in Newcastle (4-1), in the Champions League: Dembélé, Kolo Muani and Mbappé behind Gonçalo Ramos. An option that is unlikely to be considered in Milan on Wednesday, under penalty of seeing their backs against the wall for qualification for the round of 16 of C1. Even if the coach recalled his playing philosophy: “We can play with 4, 5, 6 or 7 offensive players. My goal is to attack with 11, and defend with 11.”