"Kylian Mbappe makes others shine" – David Ginola says PSG superstar enables his teammates to 'up their level'
Former Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) star David Ginola has lauded Kylian Mbappe despite his team's 1-0 UEFA Champions League last-16 home loss against Bayern Munich on Tuesday (February 14).
The Parisians slumped to their third straight defeat across all competitions in front of their home fans as Kingsley Coman scored the decisive goal eight minutes after the break. Benjamin Pavard was sent off for a second booking in the final stages of the thrilling encounter.
Mbappe, 24, started the knockout tie on the substitute bench after recovering from a hamstring injury. He replaced Carlos Soler in the 57th minute and ignited the contest, having two goals disallowed for offside.
Kylian Mbappé's game by numbers vs Bayern:
33 minutes played
15 touches
5 touches in opp. box
1 dribble completed
1 duel won
1 shot
0.45 xG
Changed the game when he came on. ⚡️ https://t.co/koZTysf5zl
Speaking after the end of the match, Ginola heaped praise on Mbappe for injecting urgency into PSG's sub-par performance. He said (h/t GFFN):
"Kylian Mbappe makes others shine and makes them want to up their level."
According to Opta Jean, the Parisians had registered just one shot in the first half against the resolute Bayern Munich side. After the 2022 FIFA World Cup Golden Boot winner's introduction, the home team upped their ante and threatened the Bavarian goal eight times in the second half, but ultimately, to no avail.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi and Neymar started their UEFA Champions League clash but failed to assert their dominance. Operating in tandem upfront in a defensive 4-4-2 setup, the pair registered just five shots throughout the 90 minutes, with the Brazilian even picking up a yellow card.
After ending their disappointing outing, both Messi and Neymar went to offer an apology to PSG fans along with the likes of Marco Verratti, Sergio Ramos, and Vitinha. The Parisians will now hope to impress their supporters on their trip to Bayern Munich on Wednesday (March 8).
Both Neymar and Leo Messi went to greet the PSG Ultras after the game! 🇧🇷🇦🇷
https://t.co/8rl2A6ZUCn
Kylian Mbappe explains how PSG can beat Bayern Munich in UCL last-16 second leg
Speaking to Canal+, Kylian Mbappe claimed that PSG's UEFA Champions League hopes are far from over. Explaining how his team could emerge victorious at the Allianz Arena next month, he said:
"Everyone needs to be healthy, sleep well, eat well. We can do something there. If we are more offensive, they will surely be uncomfortable. Let's hope to quickly move on and go again."
So far this season, the AS Monaco academy graduate has been in stellar form for Christophe Galtier's side. He has scored a whopping 25 goals and laid out six assists in 27 matches across all competitions.