"Kylian Mbappe was a bit like an orphan without Leo and Neymar" - Christophe Galtier makes incredible comment about PSG superstar's lackluster performance against Reims

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) head coach Christophe Galtier has slammed Kylian Mbappe for his underwhelming performance against Stade de Reims in the absence of Lionel Messi and Neymar.

The Parisians were held to a 0-0 draw at the Stade Auguste Delaune in a Ligue 1 contest on Saturday (8 October). The visitors failed to dominate the fixture against 14th-placed Reims as veteran centre-back Sergio Ramos was sent off four minutes before the break.

Mbappe started the match alongside new signing Carlos Soler and versatile midfielder Pablo Sarabia in the front three of PSG's 3-4-2-1 setup. He registered one shot on target, completed just 15 passes, created two chances and completed just one dribble from six attempts during the contest.

Major controversy in France tonight over Kylian Mbappé’s now deleted Instagram story with the hashtag “pivot gang” following PSG’s 0-0 draw with Reims.

Mbappé recently explained his preference for playing alongside a target man, like Giroud, rather than being the centre forward. https://t.co/ivqk4uwiwt

Speaking at a post-match press conference, Galtier hit out at the Frenchman for his recent outing against Reims (via L'Equipe):

"Kylian Mbappe was a bit like an orphan without Leo [Messi] and Neymar, as I suspected. I thought that might change as the game went on.

"Ney didn't start the match because he has played a lot recently. Obviously, when he came on, we saw how good a relationship they have and that is why our second-half performance was better despite us being down to 10 men."

He added:

"Unfortunately, Ney was a little bit off the mark in one-on-one situations. Kylian was up against a goalkeeper who made a decisive save. That is what it comes down to, even if we can't be satisfied with that."

Mbappe has been in explosive form this season, scoring 11 goals in 12 matches across all competitions. Messi, on the other hand, has registered eight goals and as many assists in 13 appearances. Neymar has contributed 11 goals and nine assists in 14 matches.

🇦🇷Lionel Messi has either scored a goal or provided an assist in every game he has played for PSG this season.

🐐PSG felt the GOAT's absence in their goalless draw game against Stade de Reims.

#Messi𓃵|#SDRPSG|#ChampionsLeague https://t.co/iZ4L74lVTN

PSG are currently atop the 2022-23 Ligue 1 standings with 26 points from 10 games. The club will next face Benfica at the Parc des Princes in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (11 October).

PSG's Nuno Mendes compares himself to Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar

Speaking to Canal Supporters, PSG left-back Nuno Mendes shed light on his versatility and how he can be useful to his team:

"Before being a full-back, I was a striker. So yes, if necessary, I can play in front. I'm not as technical as Neymar, Messi and Mbappe but I have other qualities that can be useful to the team."

Mendes suffered a thigh injury during the Parisians' 1-1 draw at Benfica in their third UEFA Champions League Group H match on Wednesday (5 October). He is set to be sidelined for three weeks.