Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-02-29 07:24:50
Kylian Mbappe is set to face his former club Monaco for the final time as a Paris Saint-Germain player on Friday, pending his selection by coach Luis Enrique. The relationship between the France captain and the PSG boss has been a topic of discussion following Mbappe’s decision to leave the club at the end of the season when his contract expires in June. Real Madrid is speculated to be his next destination.
Luis Enrique responded to Mbappe’s announcement by leaving him out of the starting line-up for their game against Nantes, although Mbappe came off the bench to score a penalty in a 2-0 victory. In a surprising move, Mbappe started in their recent match against Rennes, where he even wore the captain’s armband in the absence of Marquinhos. However, he was substituted after 65 minutes, with his replacement, Goncalo Ramos, scoring a crucial penalty to secure a draw for PSG.
Mbappe, the club’s all-time leading scorer with 244 goals, has rarely found himself on the bench in his 292 appearances for PSG since joining from Monaco in 2017. Luis Enrique emphasized the need for the team to adapt to playing without Mbappe when asked about his decisions regarding the star player’s playing time.
Despite their recent draw against Rennes, PSG holds a comfortable 11-point lead at the top of Ligue 1, allowing them to plan for the future. With a crucial Champions League match against Real Sociedad coming up, there might be a temptation to rest Mbappe against Monaco. However, as they aim to progress further in Europe, Mbappe will likely want to feature against his former club, who are currently third in the league and vying for Champions League qualification.
One player to keep an eye on is Said Benrahma, who recently joined Lyon on loan from West Ham United. Despite the paperwork not being finalized before the deadline, Benrahma has quickly made an impact, scoring crucial goals in recent games for Lyon. His presence could be vital in Lyon’s upcoming match against Lens as they push for European qualification.
Mbappe has been prolific against Monaco, scoring 10 goals in 11 Ligue 1 games against them since joining PSG. PSG has also been strong on the road, remaining undefeated in 18 away Ligue 1 games. Meanwhile, Brest is on an unbeaten streak of 12 games in the league.
The upcoming fixtures in Ligue 1 include Monaco vs. Paris Saint-Germain on Friday, Reims vs. Lille and Clermont vs. Marseille on Saturday, followed by several matches on Sunday featuring teams like Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, and Lyon facing off against Lens.
