Kylian Mbappé scored with Paris SG on his return to competition on Saturday in Ligue 1 against Montpellier, in the first match of his sixth season with the Parisian club. Suspended during the Champions Trophy (4-0 against Nantes) then injured on the first day of the Championship (5-0 at Clermont), the 23-year-old Frenchman, top scorer in Ligue 1 last season, found his way to the fillets à la 69e minute at the Parc des Princes. He had missed a penalty at the start of the match and had a rather mixed evening, showing some signs of annoyance.
The world champion, named Friday among the 30 candidates for the Ballon d’Or 2022, extended his contract until 2025 with PSG, at the end of a season rich in suspense as to his future, between Paris and Real Madrid . Mbappé, like his teammates, had not walked the Parc des Princes since the 38e Ligue 1 day last season, a 5-0 victory against Metz with a hat-trick from the former Monegasque. PSG took the opportunity to announce with a bang, in front of the public, the extension of his star’s contract.
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Because if Lionel Messi and Neymar, the men at the start of the season, continue to find themselves with their eyes closed, this is less the case for the 23-year-old international, a little too greedy in certain situations, a little less successful, and even clearly overwhelmed at times, before its release in 86e minute. The Brazilian, he remains on very high bases, with a double (43e s.p., 51e) which brings his total of goals to five in three official games, in addition to the three assists delivered since the end of July.
The first Parisian goal came from a shot from Mbappé off target and awkwardly deflected into his goal by Falaye Sacko, also at fault on the penalty converted by Neymar. And the last, by Renato Sanches, already a scorer for his first match after arriving from Lille (88e). Paris still conceded its first goals of the season, by Wahbi Khazri (58e) and Enzo Tchato (90e+2). The project led by Christophe Galtier continues to take shape, even if the adaptation of Mbappé is still far from complete.
The Monegasques are off to a good start
A little earlier, the opposition had been more balanced, between two candidates for European places, Monaco and Rennes. At home, ASM won a good draw given the circumstances, after 75 minutes spent in numerical inferiority and an elimination in the 3rd qualifying round of the Champions League to digest. Three days after the disappointing setback in Eindhoven against PSV (3-2 after extra time), it was indeed necessary to remobilize quickly… And the Monegasques did it, with the exception of Youssouf Fofana, at fault in the quarter game, and excluded.
After its surprise opening defeat against Lorient (1-0), Rennes still lacked efficiency, despite Gaëtan Laborde’s opener (59e), quickly erased by Breel Embolo (72e), a promising recruit. “We stayed in the game with a lot of solidarity, with a lot of physical effort after 120 minutes in Eindhoven. Mentally, the players have also rebounded,” said coach Philippe Clement. “To do 75 minutes against Rennes at 10 is only possible when solidarity is exceptional. “With four points, the ASM is temporarily positioned on the podium, just behind Lille (4 points), held in check in Nantes on Friday.
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Two clubs can join Paris at the top of the ranking on Sunday: Marseille, traveling to Brest (8:45 p.m.), and Lens, which goes to Ajaccio (3 p.m.). The duel between Lorient and Lyon has been postponed due to the impassable lawn in Brittany.