"It didn't work as well as in the other games" - Pundit says Galtier should have substituted PSG's Kylian Mbappe instead of Neymar against Lyon
Former French forward Jerome Rothen has remarked that Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) coach Christophe Galtier should have subbed off Kylian Mbappe instead of Neymar in the win over Lyon.
Defending champions PSG took on Lyon in the eighth gameweek of the 2022-23 Ligue 1 season on Sunday night (September 18). Galtier’s side secured a narrow 1-0 win on the night, with Lionel Messi’s fifth-minute strike proving to be decisive. Despite scoring an early goal, the Parisians struggled to stamp their authority on the game, with their front three struggling to link up with one another.
A pass to Hakimi would have been the best option but Mbappe wants to be in the spotlight and went for a fruitless dribble https://t.co/j65qd9Q6DN
In the 86th minute of the match, Galtier decided to introduce Carlos Soler in Neymar’s place, leaving Messi and Mbappe on the bench. Rothen, a former PSG player himself, thought that the coach made a wrong call there, stating that he should have hooked the struggling no. 7 instead of the Brazilian.
Rothen said on RMC Sport (via PSGTalk):
“Mbappe had difficulty exploiting his speed. He did the Neymar thing, coming to get the ball, stalling, trying to combine. It didn’t work as well as in the other games, that’s frustration.
“In the second half, he went off twice by himself and lost the ball, and Galtier had to intervene and take him off with half an hour to go, leaving Messi and Neymar in the game.”
PSG superstar Neymar has been more prolific than Kylian Mbappe this season
Christophe Galtier’s side have enjoyed a fine run in the 2022-23 campaign, securing 10 wins and a draw from 11 fixtures across competitions. Almost all of their stars have lived up to their billing thus far, but one has remarkably stood out.
Neymar, with his 11 goals and eight assists in 11 games across competitions, has easily been the Parisians’ standout player this season. His ability to score as well as create has impressed fans, with the superstar also showing more commitment than ever before.
MNM this season:
Neymar has assisted Messi 3 times
Messi has assisted Neymar 3 times
Neymar has assisted Mbappe 3 times
Messi has assisted Mbappe 5 times
Mbappe has assisted Neymar 0 times
Mbappe has assisted Messi 0 times. https://t.co/wV2V2OT88b
Mbappe has also found the back of the net quite frequently, scoring 10 times in nine games across competitions. Although he has scored almost as many as the Brazil international, the Frenchman has often been criticized for not passing to his teammates and squandering too many chances.