Kylian Mbappe, 24, is firmly angry with Luis Enrique, 53.
“Mbappe voiced his displeasure with Enrique after the match against Dortmund,” the British publication Tribuna reported on Friday (June 15).
PSG drew 1-1 away to Dortmund in the sixth and final Group F match of the UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2022-2023 season at the Zignale Iduna Park in Germany on Thursday. Needing a win to secure top spot in the group, PSG conceded early in the second half. However, Warren Zaire Emery equalized in the 11th minute, assisted by Kylian Mbappe, to secure second place in the group and a place in the round of 16.
With the conclusion of the tournament’s group stage matches, the round of 16 has been decided. In Group F, Dortmund topped the group with 11 points (3 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss), while PSG finished second with 8 points (2 wins, 2 draws, 2 losses). AC Milan, who beat Newcastle 2-1 at the same time, matched PSG on 8 points (W2 D2 L2) but lost out on the winner’s bracket.
Playing up front, Mbappe was all over the place, leading the attack. He didn’t have a goal, but he did assist on Unai Emery’s brilliant equalizer. He fired three shots on target and did his part to create chances with well-timed forward passes to other attackers. Lee Kang-indo played 68 minutes behind Mbappe, but was unable to create any offense. However, he was active in the attack, getting three shots on target to help PSG advance to the round of 16.
Mbappe rattled the post in the 31st minute with the score tied 1-1, only to have the goal ruled out for offside. Hakimi whipped in an “earth-shattering” pass from the right flank to Mbappe in front of goal. Mbappe dribbled into the box and rattled the post, but was ruled offside for being in front of the goal.
In the closing stages of the second half, Dortmund went into lockdown, knowing that a draw would secure top spot in the group. Enrique opted to settle for a draw and move up to second place in the group instead of pushing too hard. PSG’s players were relaxed, passing the ball around and not trying to attack too hard. The game ended in a 1-1 draw.
But Mbappe had other ideas. He wanted to finish top of the group and avoid facing the big boys in the round of 16. When the ball didn’t come to him in the final minutes of the game, Mbappe shook his head in frustration. “Mbappe showed his frustration with the coach after the game. He later sat angrily in the locker room and on the bus before rejoining the squad.” “Upon returning to Paris, Mbappe looked somber at the airport.”
Having made it through the ‘group of death’, PSG now faces the ’round of death’. The UCL round of 16 is a showdown between the first- and second-place teams in each group. ‘Group runners-up’ PSG will start the round of 16 against the favorites who finished first in their group.
The top teams in Groups A through H are Bayern Munich, Arsenal, Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, Atletico Madrid, Manchester City, and Barcelona. Of these teams, only Real Sociedad has a relatively low power level. In the round of 16, the team could face Munich with Kim Min-jae, defending champions Manchester City, and La Liga champions Real.
However, Enrique was pleased with his team’s second-place finish in the group without Mbappe’s speed. After the game, he said: “We survived. Now no team will want to meet us in the round of 16,” he said confidently.