"He didn't say anything" - PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe seen rushing to Neymar's defense and arguing with referee Clement Turpin about red card
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) ace Kylian Mbappe had urged referee Clement Turpin to overturn Neymar’s red card against Strasbourg, arguing that the Brazilian did not ask for a penalty.
On Wednesday night (December 28), PSG secured a narrow 2-1 win over Strasbourg in their first Ligue 1 match since the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Marquinhos opened the scoring for the Parisians in the 14th minute with a thumping header. Six minutes into the second half, a deflection off Marquinhos allowed Strasbourg to equalize. The game was ultimately decided by a Kylian Mbappe penalty in the final minute of injury time.
The most controversial moment of the match came in the 62nd minute when Neymar was shown a second yellow for an apparent dive inside the Strasbourg box. As soon as the referee pulled out the card, Kylian Mbappe urged him to reconsider, insisting that the Brazilian had not appealed for a penalty.
Kylian Mbappé perplexed by Clément Turpin’s decision to send off Neymar vs Strasbourg in midweek: “You can’t give him a red! He didn’t say anything! He didn’t ask for anything!” (APV) https://t.co/hltSmmdWJp
In the clip above, Mbappe is seen saying:
“You can’t give him a red! He didn’t say anything! He didn’t ask for anything!”
Neymar’s first yellow card came in the 61st minute after he caught midfielder Adrien Thomasson in the face. Wednesday’s dismissal marked the 12th red card in Neymar’s career and his fifth in PSG colors. Due to the dismissal, he will miss the top-of-the-table clash against second-placed Lens on Sunday (January 1).
PSG’s Kylian Mbappe ends 2022 as Ligue 1's leading scorer
Kylian Mbappe has enjoyed a stunning year in front of goal. He ended the 2021-22 Ligue 1 season with 28 goals in 35 matches, emerging as the top scorer.
The Frenchman has proven to be just as prolific in the 2022-23 campaign, bagging 13 goals in 15 Ligue matches so far. With the next round of Ligue 1 matches coming on January 1, Mbappe will finish the year as the division’s top scorer. Mbappe’s PSG teammate Neymar is second on the list with 11 goals in 15 games.
Lionel Messi & Kylian Mbappe stats when they were both 23 years of age. https://t.co/od53xIZS0Y
Mbappe is also set to finish the year as the 2022-23 Champions League’s joint-leading scorer, having scored seven times in six games. Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has also netted seven times so far in the competition.
Additionally, Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. He scored eight goals in seven games, including a hat-trick in the final against Argentina. Unfortunately for the former Monaco man, Lionel Messi’s side still managed to overcome Les Bleus, securing a 4-2 win on penalties (3-3 after extra time).