It’s so far so good in terms of results for Ligue 1 favourites Paris Saint-Germain, but off the pitch things are not so happy in the dressing room, by all accounts.
Fans of other clubs are quite enjoying watching the soap opera at the Parc des Princes as the beef between two big stars and even bigger egos shows no sign of calming down. Following his surprising decision to snub Real Madrid and stay at PSG, Kylian Mbappe seemed to think he had a new role involving player selection and assessment at the club and the 23-year-old immediately set about questioning the commitment of Brazilian ace Neymar.
And after missing PSG’s opening day rout away to Clermont Mbappe appeared to be sulking at times during his team’s 5-2 victory over Montpellier last Saturday. There was a flashpoint in the game when Neymar stepped up to take a penalty, late in the first half, with the score at 1-0 to the Parisiens. Mbappe, who had already missed one spot kick tried to take persuade Neymar to let him take the second penalty but without success, and his team-mate converted the chance with ease into the bottom corner.
In the aftermath of the game the Brazil star took to social media, partly to celebrate his own achievement of two goals but also to ‘like’ a number of anti-Mbappe posts which basically said the penalty duties should remain with Neymar.
Apparently the two players had to be separated in the dressing room, leading to the PSG football adviser calling a ‘clear the air’ meeting between to two players…for all the good that will do!
During the 5-2 win, Mbappe was also seen to stop running during a PSG attack when new signing Vitinha ignored his run and passed to Lionel Messi instead. And, in another incident spotted by fans, the young Frenchman bumped into Messi, a close friend of Neymar’s, leading to the Argentine maestro casting a bemused glance in Mbappe’s direction.
As well as the drama, the first two rounds of Ligue 1 2022 results threw up some spectacular outcomes and Messi scored twice while Neymar added his own goal and three assists as the Parisiens hammered Clermont 5-0 on the opening day. Head coach Christophe Galtier’s challenge is to keep all three of his attacking megastars happy and that will take some doing in the current atmosphere.
And the competition for attention between Neymar and Mbappe is no use to another PSG forward, Mauro Icardi, who is looking to exit the club before the transfer window closes. With those two and Messi ahead of him in the pecking order the Argentine knows his chances at the Parc des Princes will be few and far between, and there has been an informal approach for the player made by Manchester United.
The clubs have talked through intermediaries and now Icardi, who is said to be open to a move to Old Trafford, is waiting for the next move.
Steady starts for PSG rivals
Of course the SBOTOP Ligue 1 2022 betting odds have installed PSG as hot favourites for the title, but while the champions earned back-to-back wins in their first two games their main rivals have also picked up points.
The arrival of Alexis Sanchez from Inter Milan will boost Olympique Marseille’s hopes and they currently sit in second place after hammering Reims 4-1 before drawing 1-1 away to Brest.
Monaco started with a 2-1 win away to Strasbourg and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at home to Reims.
Meanwhile Lyon also has a 100 per cent record still in tact having played just the once in a 2-1 win over Ajaccio, as former Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette scored a penalty on his return to his boyhood club. Lyon can draw level with PSG when they host Troyes on Friday night.
Dembele’s future at Lyon in the balance
While Lacazette scored a goal in Lyon’s opener, reports from the club have emerged that fellow striker Moussa Dembele could be about to leave the club. He has just one season left on his contract and while Lyon have offered an extension, it is yet to be taken up and so they may be tempted to cash in if an offer comes in for the player.
The France striker has admirers at Champions League contenders Borussia Dortmund and Juventus, as well as Premier League outfit Everton, and we may see some movement on his future in the next few days. Elsewhere, Leeds United have been alerted that their long-time target Seko Fofana has changed agents in the last month of the transfer window, and that might well mean he’s ready to leave Ligue 1 club Lens. The Yorkshire side has already signed two midfielders but they may well see the departure of Mateusz Klich, while utility player Stuart Dallas is still recovering from injury.
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