Paris Saint Germain forward, Kylian Mbappe is regretting that he and his teammates, Lionel Messi and Neymar just started clicking after over eight months of being together.
Recall that Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have been playing together since 2018. Lionel Messi joined the super duo in August 2021 after FC Barcelona failed to renew his contract due to financial complications.
When Messi was on the verge of joining PSG, most football enthusiasts felt that the addition of Messi to Neymar and Mbappe would make PSG an unstoppable force in all competitions. The speculation was that they would become the most deadly attacking trio in the history of football.
But before April 2022, the world could not see much from the trio, especially outside French Ligue 1. Though they are leading the league table with 71 points in 31 games, 12 points away from second-placed Marseille, they have recorded four defeats and five draws which was a surprise to many.
The most disappointing aspect of the 2021-2022 season at the French club was the club’s failure to go beyond the round of 16 stage of the UEFA Champions League campaign.
Recall that UEFA paired PSG with Real Madrid in the round of 16 stage of the tournament. PSG beat Real Madrid 1-0 in the first leg and were expected to finish up the tie in Madrid.
Fortunately for them, PSG scored the first goal through Kylian Mbappe which gave PSG a 2-0 aggregate lead in the game. But PSG squandered the lead as Real Madrid went on to score three goals to knock them out of the competition 3-2 on aggregate.
Due to the failure of the team to progress beyond the round of 16 stage, PSG’s fans booed Lionel Messi and Neymar in Parc des Princes before a league game.
However, the kind of connection the football world has been anticipating that the trio would have has started unfolding since April.
The combination of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, and Lionel Messi saw PSG beat Lorient 5-1 in a league game on April 3, 2022. During the game, Lionel Messi scored a goal, Kylian Mbappe scored two goals and provided three assists while Neymar scored two goals.
PSG 5-1 Lorient highlights
— ⚽⚽⚽ (@ElijahKyama) April 4, 2022
Kylian Mbappé ⚽️⚽️ Neymar Jr ⚽️⚽️ Lionel Messi ⚽️
The first time they have all scored in the same match.
| #PSGFCL | pic.twitter.com/ZskKo61Yoa
That was the first time since August that the three players were all involved since they started playing together this season.
On April 9, 2022, Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe were fully involved in the 6-1 bashing of Clermont Foot. In the game, Mbappe scored a hat-trick, Neymar scored a hat-trick, and Lionel Messi provided a hat-trick assists.
Just within two games, the combination of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe have produced 11 goals and eight assists.
“It’s a shame that it’s only happening now,” Mbappe told Canal+.
“But there are a lot of circumstances and events that mean it’s only happening now. But we are three quality players and we try to give our best every time.
“Any regrets about the season? Life is like that, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. We have had pain, but we must always be positive and show that we are a great club.”
So far this season, Kylian Mbappe has scored 31 goals and provided 22 assists in 39 games in all competitions. Unfortunately for PSG, his contract with the French club will expire on June 30, 2022.
PSG mengamuk lagi 🔥 Les Parisiens kembali menang 6-1 dan trio MNM kembali tampil impresif kala menghabisi Clermont Foot. Kylian Mbappe dan Neymar sama-sama cetak hattrick, sementara Lionel Messi beri kontribusi hattrick asis!#beINLigue1 pic.twitter.com/gAF3fHOcjP
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTSid) April 10, 2022
