Paris Saint-Germain had a disastrous match in their 4-1 loss to Newcastle United on Matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League. Furthermore, it was a tough night for Kylian Mbappé at St. James’ Park.
The 24-year-old had three key passes and one shot off-target in 90 minutes. However, one stat highlights the challenging night of the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner against the Magpies’ defense.
Squawka Live pointed out on Twitter that Mbappé did not complete a single take-on vs. Newcastle. Now, one context that might explain this stat could be that the Frenchman is still dealing with an injury.
Kylian Mbappé did not complete a single take-on vs Newcastle.
Pocketed. #UCL pic.twitter.com/Onn76Xays7
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) October 4, 2023
The winger left the 4-0 win over Olympique de Marseille on Sept. 24 with an ankle injury, which might still be lingering. Mbappé did play against Clermont Foot last Saturday; however, the 0-0 draw didn’t provide any confidence.
PSG will need to put this loss behind them. The Ligue 1 side must prepare for back-to-back matches against AC Milan. As a result, these two games could be the turning point to see who advances to the knockout stages.
