“It’s not the structure, or the tactics” - Kylian Mbappe expresses PSG disappointment despite late draw against Newcastle
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe expressed disappointment in himself and his teammates after they were held to a 1-1 draw against Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League.
Les Parisiens were unable to secure all three points at home despite largely dominating the game against Newcastle. Luis Enrique's side had 73% possession of the ball and landed a mammoth total of 31 shots, with seven being on target. In contrast, the Magpies had just five shots with two being on target.
Despite the statistical domination, Kylian Mbappe and Co. were unable to make the most of their chances with Nick Pope making numerous world-class saves. Alexander Isak gave Newcastle the lead against the run of play in the 24th minute, prodding in from a rebound.
PSG continued to miss a host of chances in the second half but were saved in the 97th minute when they were awarded a penalty following Livramento's handball. Mbappe made no mistake from the spot a minute later to seal a point for his side.
This did little to improve the Frenchman's mood at full-time as he told RMC (via HITC):
“It’s a disappointment. In a Champions League match, you can’t have so many opportunities and not score. It’s not the structure, or the tactics. It’s us, the players. We have to work, be much more clinical. I had opportunities to score and I have to score, that’s clear. Everyone who has eyes saw that we dominated.”
PSG are now second in Group F with seven points from five games, three points behind group leaders Borussia Dortmund. Newcastle and AC Milan are third and fourth respectively, with five points each.
PSG will be aiming to bounce back in their next fixture, a Ligue 1 clash against Le Havre away from home on Sunday, December 3.
How did Kylian Mbappe perform for PSG during their draw against Newcastle?
Kylian Mbappe bemoaned his side's wastefulness after they dropped two points during their 1-1 draw against Newcastle in the Champions League. Let's take a look at the stats to see how the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner performed.
As per FotMob, Mbappe was given a man-of-the-match rating of 8.5. The 24-year-old scored one goal, created four big chances, and landed a total of five shots. However, he did have a combined xG and xA of 2.74 and was guilty of missing two big chances to seal the game for his side. Three of his five shots were on target with an accuracy of 60%. Moreover, despite winning five duels, he also did end up losing seven in total.