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Jurgen Klinsmann analyzes Kylian Mbappe’s performance in PSG’s 1-0 loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League semifinals. (1:29)
On the one hand, there are positives to celebrate at Paris Saint-Germain: they won Ligue 1 and a French Super Cup, they face a Coupe de France final against Lyon (a team they have beaten 8-2 in two games this season) at the end of the month, and they can feel smart to have reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League with the youngest team in the league. competition.
All of this is something to be proud of, but, on the other hand, there is an overwhelming sense of failure. The Champions League final was up for grabs and represented an incredible opportunity to get back into it, 4 years after the last and only one. one, they lost to Bayern Munich behind closed doors due to the coronavirus pandemic. And what a way it could have been for Kylian Mbappé to end his PSG career by lifting the only trophy he has been able to win at the club.
As is the case, PSG’s season unfolds depending on whether the glass is seen as half empty or half full. That’s how football is done. The Parc des Princes was decked out for the occasion, full of red and blue colours, fans and songs. But the players and Luis Enrique, with the help of a bit of bad luck, such as hitting Dortmund’s posts four times or the crossbar in 90 minutes, failing to score despite a 3. 25 xG – let them down.
So what’s next for this super club? With Mbappe leaving this summer, where do they go from here?
Since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought the club in the summer of 2011, the Champions League crusade has been what has explained PSG’s seasons. Coaches are regularly fired for not keeping their promises or not going far enough, but this popular one doesn’t apply. Luis Enrique. Al Spaniard still has one season left on his contract and the club is very pleased with his paintings and the progress made through this young team this season. He was able to create an identity, unity, and team spirit that didn’t exist before, when early groups were governed through individuals.
“He’ll definitely be there next season to continue the build that started this season,” a source told ESPN at the Parc des Princes after the game. Discussions even deserve to begin soon for an extension, ESPN has also learned. The club knows that in order to finally win the Champions League, their holy grail, they need a solid foundation and a stability that Luis Enrique has been able to foster in this group.
Of course, he’s made mistakes this season. Their formation in a 4-2-4 at the right organisational level at Newcastle, and their resolve to stay there for the entire match, was justifiable, as they lost 4-1. Marco Asensio as a false nine against Barcelona in the quarter-final first leg was also a bad concept, as was removing Goncalo Ramos on Tuesday against Dortmund and replacing him with Asensio himself. The list goes on, but all coaches have to come up with possible options and resolutions and never do everything right.
At the start of the campaign, the goal was not to win the Champions League this season, but next season. Of course, they would have won it now if they could, but with that in mind, PSG and their coach are ahead of schedule.
There you have it, Mbappé will never wear the PSG shirt again in Europe. He ended up like that, on the floor of his house where he dreamed of bringing back the Champions League trophy as a farewell gift; Unfortunately, all he delivered were tears, regrets, and blows in positions.
The Parisian superstar took responsibility for his team’s elimination, admitting that he didn’t do enough and that he scored as he was expected to score. But what happened to the saying that “wonderful games belong to wonderful players?”Mbappé was nowhere to be seen in the first match. He played in Germany last week, and wasn’t much more present in Paris on Tuesday. (Vitinha, the Portuguese midfielder signed by Porto in 2022, was arguably PSG’s biggest attacking threat. )
Mbappé believed, like those around him, that it was written in the stars: his destiny to play the final at Wembley against Real Madrid, his longtime club, and shine there. Their last match will be the final of the European Cup. France in Lille on 25 May. It’s not the same environment or the same motivation.
The raucous crowd at the Parc des Princes never sang Mbappe’s call on Tuesday, which is remarkable, and the total night is a clever summary of his seven years at the club: heaps of successes and individual records, but also huge missed opportunities. In this festival alone, there is clearly this semi-final, the one against Manchester City in 2021, where he said he was not in very good shape (the club, to this day, still disputes it) and the final in 2020, of course, when, in the 0-0 draw against Bayern, he missed a great opportunity to beat Manuel Neuer from a fair position.
With its intermittent launch regardless, enthusiasts proved on Tuesday afternoon that they are in a position to be subsidized by a new generation of stars.
Kylian Mbappe is reassured after PSG’s defeat to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and is looking forward to the Coupe de France final.
Mbappe’s departure deserves to give PSG a budget of around €300 million to invest this summer, a source told ESPN on Tuesday. Between the savings on the Frenchman’s salary, the bonuses he offers when he leaves and the budget already allocated, the club will have many opportunities for its squad, and so it wants.
In order for this team to progress and grow, they have to spend, and they will start by looking for Mbappé’s replacement. He can simply be a direct change on the left wing, like Milan’s Rafael Leão, or he can simply be a prolific No. 9. /centre-forward such as Napoli’s Victor Osimhen or Juventus’ Dusan Vlahovic, despite the fact that PSG already have Randal, Kolo Muani and Ramos, for whom they spent €150 million last summer. Perhaps they will also opt for a marquee signing like Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah if he is available.
The midfield also wants more intensity and quality. Despite how smart Vitinha has been all season and the revelation that is 18-year-old Warren Zaire-Emery, the PSG midfielder has felt too gentle to compete with other big clubs. They want experience, more creativity and more choice. That factor will be addressed this summer, with the likes of Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva and Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimarães on the club’s shortlist.
Defensively everything is well covered. Lucas Beraldo is only 20 years old and will be informed of his mistakes; The same is expected of Nuno Mendes at left-back. And Gigio Donnarumma in goal? He’s been on their line for most of the season, but his weaknesses in the corners have rarely taken a heavy toll on his team and his distribution isn’t very good either. Luis Enrique and Luis Campos – the latter is PSG’s sporting director, although his long career is also dubious given that he was recruited because Mbappé was looking for him; Perhaps other options are simply being considered.