PSG, Christophe Galtier, Kylian Mbappe

Galtier Comes to the Defense of Mbappe After the PSG Star’s Sluggish Performance vs. Lens

Paris Saint-Germain's French head coach Christophe Galtier (R) gives instruction to Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappe during the French L1 football match between Paris-Saint Germain (PSG) and AS Monaco at The Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on August 28, 2022. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier came to the defense of Kylian Mbappe after the reigning Ligue 1 champions suffered a 3-1 defeat to RC Lens on Sunday.

For the second straight match, Galtier rolled with a 4-3-1-2 setup, as Mbappe tagged along with Hugo Ekitike to be PSG’s main center forwards in the formation. The French forward failed to find the back of the net from his five total shots in the contest, and he also completed a lowly 25 percent of dribble attempts.

While there was much that Galtier simply did not like about PSG’s performance against Lens, he was at the least appreciative of Mbappe’s sheer effort in the fixture.

“Kylian made a lot of effort, even at 3-1 he showed a very good state of mind,” Galtier said during his post-match press conference. “Unfortunately, he did not manage to make the difference because in front, they defended well.

“They regrouped well in front of the surface, so there was less and less space. Facing low blocks and an opponent who has the advantage in the score, you need a lot of talent and technical accuracy.”

Galtier also confirmed that Mbappe will receive a “few days off.” The PSG star made an early return to the club a mere three days after the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final, and he went on to play in its first two matches of the second half of the season.

Overall, PSG still holds the top spot in the Ligue 1 standings with 44 points through 17 matches played.

Tags Christophe Galtier Kylian Mbappé RC Lens
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