'Individualist' Mbappe SLAMMED for Champions League performance

Cameron Smith

• 15 Dec 2023 08:41 GMT
• 3 min read

Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe has been heavily criticised for his performance against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday night.

Luis Enrique’s side narrowly secured a 1-1 draw at the Signal Iduna Park to seal their qualification to the Champions League last-16 on goal difference.

Mbappe, 24, didn’t score in the game after a first-half effort was brilliantly cleared off the line by Niklas Sule and a second-half strike was ruled out for offside by VAR.

The ex-Monaco starlet was deployed in a centre-forward role during the game, and he has been slammed for his lack of effort by former France international Christophe Dugarry.

What has been said?

Dugarry, whose former clubs include Bordeaux, AC Milan and Barcelona, spoke to RMC Sport about Mbappe’s display against Dortmund and admitted: “I blame him for his attitude.

“I understand that statistics are important to him. He knew it was a match where he was expected. He had to be the leader of this PSG team and when I hear ‘leader’, I hear ‘exemplary’.

“His qualities are not called into question, but the example has not been shown. He is a boy who is not concerned with any defensive task. He makes no effort when a defender passes three, four, five metres from him.

“I saw a passive Mbappe. He only harangued his teammates at the end to complain. I want to tell him that he should have done it before.

“I didn't see him press [Niklas] Süle and [Mats] Hummels. I was very, very disappointed in his behaviour.

“He must get it in his head that a leader must set an example and feel concerned. I remember Zizou [Zinedine Zidane]. When you saw him try so hard, run so much, defend so much, you had to move. Zizou was a collective, he [Mbappe] is an individualist.”

Mbappe has 18 goals and two assists in 20 matches in all competitions so far this season, but he has gone missing in recent Champions League games, and his only goal contribution in his last three appearances in the competition was the late penalty against Newcastle United.