"There is no doubt about that" - Ligue 1 star revealed who is harder to defend between PSG duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe
Ligue 1 star Guillermo Maripan has revealed who is more difficult to defend against between PSG superstar attackers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe. The Chilean didn't hesitate to name the Argentine maestro as the more difficult to contain of the two.
Maripan is fortunate enough to have witnessed the greatness of both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe on the pitch, perhaps not-so-fortunate that he had to defend against them. The AS Monaco defender has come up against the duo on a number of occasions while playing against PSG in Ligue 1.
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The centre-back has also faced Messi during international duty with Chile and has no doubt the Argentine remains a bigger nightmare to opposition defenders than his attacking mate.
“On an individual level, the most challenging is Messi, there is no doubt about that,” Maripan told reporters (h/t TNT Sports Chile). “Mbappe is also, but I think that Messi has been the most difficult to face.”
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe are arguably the most impressive players in the football world right now. Both were at the top of their game during the recently concluded FIFA World Cup in Qatar, impressing fans across the globe with their outstanding performances and goal-scoring exploits.
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The Argentine recorded seven goals and three assists in seven appearances in the tournament and picked up the Golden Ball after leading his country to glory.
The Frenchman, on the other hand, ended up picking up the Golden Boot for scoring the most goals in the competition (8). He also bagged two assists and had everyone talking about his performance in the final, where he bagged a fantastic hat trick.
When will Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe return to action for PSG?
Kylian Mbappe has wasted no time after the World Cup. The 24-year-old returned to the Parc des Princes less than three days after the conclusion of the competition. It remains to be seen whether he'll be ready to get back into action when PSG face Strasbourg in their first post-World Cup match on December 28.
Lionel Messi, meanwhile, is still in Argentina celebrating his first-ever World Cup title. According to Spanish outlet AS, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner is expected to enjoy a 12-day break, which means we may not see him in action until next year.
The 35-year-old will most likely get back on the pitch for PSG when they lock horns with Angers in a Ligue 1 encounter in January.