"Ghosted like his idol Penaldo" "Cubarsi's dog" - Kylian Mbappe savaged on social media, fans call him 'overhyped mid' after Barcelona horror show
Kylian Mbappe has been lambasted by fans after his surprisingly quiet outing in Paris Saint-Germain's 3-2 loss to Barcelona in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal.
The Parisians suffered defeat at home at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday (April 10). Luis Enrique's men have it all to do in the second leg at Barca's Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys next Tuesday (April 16).
Raphinha opened the scoring for Barcelona with a fine strike in the 37th minute. Xavi's side performed well in the first half but PSG soon hit back minutes into the second half to turn the game on its head.
Ousmane Dembele bagged just his second goal in Parisian colors and it came against his former club. The Frenchman sent a rocket into the roof of the net in the 48th minute.
Vitinha gave the hosts the lead in the 50th minute with a tidy finish. That lead lasted 12 minutes as Raphina netted a second with a neat volley.
Andreas Christensen came off the bench and won the game in the 77th minute. The Danish midfielder thumped a header past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Kylian Mbappe was kept at bay by Barcelona's impressive defense, with Jules Kounde nullifying his compatriot's threat. The French superstar had three shots, won just two of 10 ground duels, and only completed one of four dribble attempts.
It was an outing that left much to be admired ahead of an expected move to Barca's rivals Real Madrid this summer. The 25-year-old has reportedly agreed on a five-year contract with Carlo Ancelotti's Los Blancos.
However, fans have taken aim at Mbappe after his display against the Catalan giants.
One fan mocked PSG's all-time top scorer by comparing him to his idol Cristiano Ronaldo:
"Ghosted like his idol Penaldo."
Another fan suggested Mbappe was pocketed by Barca defensive starlet Pau Cubarsi:
"Cubarsi's dog."
Here's how other fans on X (formerly Twitter) reacted to Mbappe's night to forget:
"I'm telling you man he's washed," another fan wrote.
"Lamine Yamal is much better", one fan opined.
"Overhyped mid," another fan mocked.
"17 yrs old owned him," one fan insisted.
"Mbappe is so overrated," another fan boldly claimed.
"Mbappe wasn't (on) his plate today," one fan wrote.
Barcelona president Joan Laporta reportedly predicted Kylian Mbappe's quiet night
Barcelona president Joan Laporta seemingly expected Kylian Mbappe not to be at his best at the Parc des Princes tonight. The Spanish businessman was claimed to have told confidants (via Barca Universal):
"Araujo will pocket Mbappe in the tie."
Ronald Araujo played his part in keeping Mbappe quiet but it was largely down to Kounde who played right-back. The Frenchman had his compatriot's number, coming to the fore with five clearances, and two tackles. He also won seven of nine ground duels and two of three aerial duels.
Kylian Mbappe was in red-hot form before tonight's loss against Barcelona. He'd bagged 39 goals and nine assists in 40 games across competitions but failed to add to that tally.