Bayern-PSG: Neymar-Mbappé, a duo too rarely together in the matches that matter

This is the paradox of this association.

While the Neymar-Mbappé duo was supposed to help Paris Saint-Germain win the Champions League, it was in this competition that they proved to be the least effective.

We immediately think of the final against Bayern Munich (1-0), on August 23, where the two stars each lost their face-to-face with Manuel Neuer, the Bavarian goalkeeper.

But more generally, their complementarity in the queen competition has never been reflected in the figures since their recruitment in the summer of 2017 against 402 million euros.

It must be said that out of 35 Champions League matches that they could have played together, the two Parisian stars only played 25 side by side and among these only 21 as holders both at kick-off .

The statistic is even more telling during knockout matches in the finals.

Out of 11 matches, the Brazilian and the French only started 4 together.

Neymar's injuries in 2018, 2019 and 2021, each time at the start of the year, have already deprived him of 5 round of 16 games (the return leg against Real Madrid in 2018, the two games against Manchester United in 2019 and both games against Barcelona this year).

A technical relationship that is not obvious

Beside, Kylian Mbappé almost looks like a good student.

In 2020, the world champion, seized up against Dortmund in the eighth final second leg, was forced to sit on the substitutes' bench, before doing the same against Atalanta Bergamo in the quarterfinals, being on track recovery after his ankle injury in the Coupe de France final.

Each time, Bondy's crack had entered the second half.

This inability to work together in games that matter is far from neutral and undoubtedly weighs on the results of PSG in recent seasons.

Moreover, on these 25 meetings played together, their technical relationship is not obvious.

If between them, they have 39 goals in the Champions League (20 for Neymar, 19 for Mbappé), only 10 goals were scored on an assist from each other (5 goals from Neymar on an assist of Mbappé, and vice versa).

But still it should be noted that of his 10 goals after a service for each other, only one was scored in a knockout match.

It was last year, already in Germany, in Dortmund, in the round of 16 first leg, after an overflow from Mbappé and a center for Neymar.

We remember it and it's time to put the cover back on Wednesday night against Bayern Munich, at the Allianz Arena.