Kylian Mbappé, lonely star at the heart of an offensive sector that is too poor and uninspired in Lens

You miss two beings and everything is depopulated? This is, in a way, the state of mind reigning in the ranks of Paris Saint-Germain, after the first defeat of the 2022-2023 season, Sunday, on the lawn of RC Lens (1-3, 17th day of League 1). At the end of the disappointing performance of the Parisian collective at Bollaert, all eyes are inevitably on the offensive sector, too poor and uninspired against the Blood and Gold in the absence of the two geniuses that are Lionel Messi (not yet returned to the training after the 2022 World Cup) and Neymar Jr (suspended).

If Hugo Ekitike quickly equalized for Paris SG after the early Lensoise opener in the North, the young Parisian striker had great difficulty in standing out in the RCL enclosure. Aligned alongside Kylian Mbappé, with Carlos Soler in support, the former Rémois often made the wrong choices in the decisive zone, seeming to want to force the decision too much. A common trait of the native of Bondy, still clearly visible against the Blood and Gold, where the lack of depth was also blatant at the outposts.

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A trio too harmless and lacking in inspiration

If the French vice-world champion, who returned very quickly from the 2022 World Cup as a hero against Strasbourg (2-1), tried a lot, he also showed a lot of technical waste. Even more blatant than at Ekitike, Mbappé has often wanted to make the difference on his own. KM7 appeared very lonely on the front of the Rouge et Bleu attack and got annoyed as the game went on, even if we felt that something could happen when he had the leather between his crampons. “Kylian made a lot of effort, even at 3-1, explained Christophe Galtier after the match. He showed a very good state of mind, but he did not manage to make a difference because in front it was well grouped. »

What about the Spaniard, Carlos Soler, who had nevertheless made an interesting and decisive start to the match, like his opening synonymous with the penultimate pass on the only goal of Paris SG. But the former Valencia, credited with a 3 in our columns, then disappeared and struggled to be found between the lines or to redo the differences by passing, breaking the opposing lines. Unlike Neymar or Messi, Soler is obviously not the type of player to take initiatives with the ball at his feet to pierce the opposing lock, which was lacking against Lens.

“We can’t say we lost because of them (Messi and Neymar)”assures Marquinhos

“Messi and Neymar? They are great players who make the difference, who create chances for us, who score goals. We can’t say we lost because of them, because they weren’t there.insisted Marquinhos, at the microphone of Prime Video. We have already won without them too. It’s more our team cohesion that we have to find. We have been on our side for a lot of time, we have to regain cohesion, efficiency and intensity, especially with the important things coming. »

Lucid, the captain of PSG knows that he will have to do much better, especially with the knockout stages of the Champions League, against Bayern Munich, looming for the residents of the Parc des Princes. The creativity, the inspiration, but also the genius of Neymar and Messi were in any case sorely lacking in Kylian Mbappé andamp; co in Lens. Let’s hope for Christophe Galtier and PSG that the fantastic three are indeed present for the crucial deadlines to come in the season of the reigning French champions, perhaps sometimes too dependent on their stars.