Messi and Neymar become Mbappe’s supporting players at Paris Saint-Germain

It wasn’t the production of Kylian Mbappé, 23, that Paris Saint-Germain’s problem in yet another Champions League failure. The Frenchman scored in both games against Real Madrid and continued his great performance this season. Lionel Messi, 34, and Neymar, 30, who in theory would share the spotlight with their attacking partner, proved to be supporting players.

The Argentine and the Brazilian had their good moments in the clash of the round of 16. But it was shirt 7 who most created problems for the opposing defense in both matches – a 1-0 victory in France and a 3-1 defeat in Spain. His balls in the net were insufficient for the club to stay alive in the search for what has been its great objective for years.

The clash with Real Madrid was no exception in their first – and possibly only – season together. Since the arrival of Messi, who made his debut in August, Mbappé’s performance and stats have been consistently superior to those of the team’s other stars.

The Frenchman plays more and scores more goals, in absolute numbers and also in average per game. He has 35 appearances for the team in the 2021/22 cycle, with 25 goals and 14 assists. Messi entered the field 25 times, putting seven balls in the net and making ten passes to goal. Neymar was on the pitch on 19 occasions: he scored in four of them and distributed five decisive touches.

The pattern is maintained when the three are together in the formation directed by Mauricio Pochettino. Due to the controlled load of the veteran Messi and especially due to Neymar’s physical problems, this has been observed on only 12 occasions so far – according to consultation on the oGol website’s database. And in these situations there was a predominance of Mbappé in the shots on goal.

Considering only the moments in which the three have shared the field, the Frenchman has six goals and three assists, the Argentine has one goal and five assists, and the Brazilian has two goals and two assists. These are numbers that help explain the role of the youngest, coveted by the main clubs in the world.

Real Madrid itself is willing to invest heavily in the player, whose commitment to PSG expires in June this year. He can already sign a pre-contract with any club, and there are European press vehicles, such as the Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo, that already point to an agreement with the Madrid club.

“Tough time. The Champions League was the big goal for us, but we failed,” published Mbappé, who was cheered by Real fans at Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium. “The season is not over. Whatever happens, we will remain united and determined until the last game.”

In the French Championship, a dispute in which they have a huge financial advantage over their competitors, PSG leads easily, 13 points ahead of the second place. In the Champions League, which is the goal pursued since the signing of Neymar in 2017, Mbappé’s great football was not enough, without Messi and Neymar at the same level.