"
It's not the Kylian Saint-Germain
“, stormed Mbappé a handful of weeks ago.
A warning shot, not sanctioned by the club, which aimed to criticize the renewal campaign of which he was the only figure.
One of the many upheavals in PSG's tormented season, not the only one, from sand yachting in September to hurricane Leo Messi in recent days, via the "penalty-gate", "the Galtier affair", Neymar at McDonald's and many other granguignolesque episodes.
Except that this time, it's not just a formula: traveling to Troyes this Sunday (8:45 p.m.), during the 34th day of Ligue 1, Paris Saint-Germain, plucked, will only have one of its three stars, Kylian Mbappé.
"Ney" is out for the rest of the season and Messi,
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
Admittedly, there will be 10 other players on the pitch at the Stade de l'Aube.
Not Nuno Mendes, Nordi Mukiele or Presnel Kimpembe, whose season is already over, nor Timothée Pembélé, still unavailable.
Excluded during the debacle against Lorient (1-3) last weekend, Achraf Hakimi is suspended.
Not impossible to see a titi in the eleven.
One thinks for example of Warren Zaire-Emery.
Regarding Leo Messi, God knows if we will see him again in the red and blue tunic.
"
I'm waiting to know what the club is going to do
," said the "Pulga", Galtier being careful not to comment.
"
There will be discussions with the club and Leo, the first concerned
," he said.
Read alsoAfter the Messi affair, the shock wave at PSG
One thing is certain: the Parisian coach would have done well without this new blow, which shakes up an already shaken locker room and weakens a workforce that did not need it.
“Galette” can still count on Marco Verratti, Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos or even Gigio Donnrumma for this meeting against 18th in the L1 standings, already almost guaranteed to go down.
If we only talk about the offensive sector, however, it is less rosy.
To accompany “KM”, Galtier does not have much choice: Hugo Ekitike should find a starting place.
However, it is not because of his level of performance at the moment, no.
Simply because there is no other alternative, except to raise the Soler eclipse a notch or to dig into the pool of titis, for example Ilyes Housni.
Above all, it
is Messi's creativity that will be lacking.
The 35-year-old world champion "weighs" 19 assists this season and represents Mbappé's first provider of balls, for which this PSG (very) weakened by injuries and (very) mentally affected will wait for mountains and wonders this Sunday , more than ever.
50th game in 2022-23
Which Mbappé also suffered a little in this second half of the season, he is not superhuman.
It must be said that the crack of Bondy will play his 50th match this Sunday in 2022-23, including the France team.
That hasn't stopped him from finding the net four times in the last three games, with an assist as a bonus.
Enough to allow him to sit at the top of the L1 scorer rankings with 23 goals, ahead of Jonathan David (21 goals), Alexandre Lacazette (20) and Lois Openda (19), and get closer to a fifth top scorer title.
Read alsoPSG: Messi apologizes after his trip to Saudi Arabia and waits "to know what the club will do"
A personal motivation, perhaps not the only one for Mbappé, pinned by Neymar in recent days.
After having had the unpleasant surprise of seeing a few dozen angry Parisian supporters arrive in front of his home in Bougival, the Brazilian saw fit to like a video in which a Brazilian "commentator" knocks out Bondy's crack.
“
He thinks he's god now.
So PSG fans continue to worship him and want Messi and Neymar to leave so he'll be happier
“, we explain for example in this famous video.
The kind of thing that must have had the gift of annoying the captain of the France team.
Especially since this is not the first time that “Ney” has used this kind of means to get his messages across… Charge Mbappé to assume his role as leader and miracle worker to wake up this amorphous Paris-SG against Lorient and which has made the state of crisis its daily life.
We must not look for solutions, we must find them.
Christophe Galtier
A mission to its excess, but it will not be easy, even if Troyes has not won since… January 2 (4 draws, 13 defeats) and that PSG are traveling relatively well at the moment (four consecutive victories in L1 away of the Parc des Princes).
“
It's part of a season to experience moments when the squad is reduced.
We only have one match a week and we must not look for solutions, we must find them.
We worked in this direction, in order to compensate for the absences of each other and try to maintain a certain dynamic outside.
We are surely better on the move than at home at the moment
”, notes Christophe Galtier, not wanting however “
not believe that we are more comfortable outside than at home.
Does the opponent open up more being at home, give more space?
Maybe… What is certain is that we are now in the sprint, in the fight, and that we have to do everything possible to win.
»
Kylian Mbappé has scored four goals in his last three matches.
FRANCK FIFE / AFP
Lens with three small dots
Indeed, it would be better: Mbappé and company are only three small points ahead of Lens, winner of OM on Saturday (2-1).
“
We will make sure to have a team with a lot of dynamism, energy, to continue to win away from home
”, hammered Galtier again, who has not forgotten that “his” Paris Saint- Germain did not necessarily shine on the occasion of the successes brought back from Brest (1-2), Nice (0-2) and Angers (1-2), that's an understatement.
He also did not hesitate to regret that “
too many players are below their level
” at the moment in Paris, Luis Campos “
demanding
” a reaction.
Read alsoLionel Messi at PSG, behind the scenes of a fiasco
“
Our last trip was to Angers, which was almost condemned, but I saw a very playful, dynamic team, which wanted to beat the defending champion and PSG.
I would say the same thing here: Troyes still has mathematically the hope of getting out of it even if it's difficult and will receive PSG, the champion.
The players will play without pressure, in a crowded stadium.
They will play their football.
They will not want to create the feat but to beat PSG.
It's up to us to be much more efficient than in our last game, to have a very strong determination to want to win
,” slipped Galtier.
Determination that has not always been obvious lately...
The good result is victory, nothing else.
Christophe Galtier
“
The good result is victory, nothing else.
We will have a very open match
, ”he added.
This would be good news for Mbappé, who undoubtedly makes good use of it.
To see if the 2018 world champion will not be too alone.
Especially since without a deep player in front, deprived of the speed of Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi on the sides or the ability of Neymar and Leo Messi to mobilize the defenders, Estac will probably not let go of a sole. ...