Paris Saint-Germain forwards Kylian Mbappe and Neymar each earned a start in the side’s Ligue 1 away fixture against AS Monaco. Not much went their way over the course of the match, as they failed to score and combined for three shots on target.
After the 3-0 away defeat to AS Monaco, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino (via L’Equipe) opted to shy away from pinpointing the blame on either of the two for the loss but rather noted that the team’s performance was not up to par.
“We always judge on collective performance, on the collective state of mind, I do not want to focus on individual performances,” Pochettino said. “We won’t find an excuse. The most important thing is to find solutions, we have to stop looking for excuses, to find pretexts.”
Overall, Neymar played the role of a playmaker for Mbappe in PSG’s UEFA Champions League round of 16 tie against Real Madrid, as he assisted him on the two goals. However, they have struggled to build formidable chemistry in Ligue 1 play.
Neymar and Mbappe are now slated to feature for their respective national teams over the upcoming international break. Neymar will join the Brazil national team for its 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying fixtures, while Mbappe could go on to start in the France national team’s pair of international friendly matches against the Ivory Coast and South Africa.
