PSG’s defeat on Borussia Dortmund’s turf has sparked a lot of reactions among European media, where Kylian Mbappé’s rather poor performance did not go unnoticed.
PSG’s defeat on German soil has stirred a lot of reactions among European media, where Kylian Mbappé’s subpar performance was clearly noticed. Whether you call it a reality check, a wake-up call, a bump in the road, or a setback, one thing is certain: PSG did not perform as expected.
Admittedly, there was some bad luck involved, as the Parisians were frustrated by the goalposts on several occasions, but they did not present themselves as serious contenders for the championship. This is despite being heavy favorites for this match, a status they still hold for the return leg next week.
Very few Parisians were up to par in the match, especially in the offensive sector. Understandably, while a player like Bradley Barcola might be excused, Kylian Mbappé was highly anticipated and did not deliver.
Rated 4/10 in Foot Mercato’s match ratings, he has been criticized and even mocked throughout Europe. “Dortmund shows PSG and Mbappé what the Champions League is,” headlined the Spanish media outlet Relevo, adding that “Mbappé disappears in the number 9 position.”
European media relish
“Mbappé crashes into the Wall,” headlined AS, referring to the famous yellow wall of fans at Signal Iduna Park, while Marca reports that “Dortmund surprises a very discreet PSG.”
“Terzic’s plan was enough to frustrate a Mbappé who didn’t get into his game as his team would have liked,” the newspaper adds in another article. “If this is Mbappé’s last dance with Paris before moving to Real Madrid, he better bring much better dance steps next week. Mbappé was overshadowed by Niclas Fullkrug, but especially by Jadon Sancho,” says the Daily Mail in England.
“Confident Parisian fans had already booked their Eurostar tickets for the London final on June 1st. But it might be Jadon Sancho who goes to Wembley,” teases The Sun.
“Third match of the season, first victory for BvB. In the most important match,” explains Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport, which also criticizes Mbappé: “The most prominent French forward was Dembélé, Mbappé was rarely seen and he played with the handbrake on.”
Curiously, the German press remains rather discreet and merely reports what happened on the field, without too much taunting of the Parisians, probably aware that anything can happen in the return leg and that the marsupials’ lead is very slim.
