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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) fans have expressed their disappointment at Kylian Mbappe starting their Ligue 1 clash against Montpellier on Saturday, August 13.
The Parisians are set to play their first home fixture of the campaign following an emphatic 5-0 away victory at Clermont Foot last week. Goals from Neymar Jr., Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos and a brace from Lionel Messi secured an comprehensive win for the French champions.
New manager Christophe Galtier appears to have brought cohesion and a plan to the French capital as he has settled on a back-five formation. Ahead of the encounter at the Parc des Princes, Galtier announced his starting lineup for the game, which once again looks incredibly strong on paper.
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He has made just one change from the team that dispatched Clermont Foot, with Mbappe, 23, coming in for Pablo Sarabia.
After months of speculation over his contract, the Frenchman signed a new three-year deal with PSG. According to Marca turned down an offer from Real Madrid to earn €50 million a year at the Parisians. He is now the highest-paid player in the world.
However, following the announcement of the lineup against Montpellier, PSG fans took to Twitter to bemoan the inclusion of Mbappe. They feel the France international may break the cohesion that the side is building up in the first match. Here are some of their reactions:
PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe includes himself in the top three for the 2022 Ballon d'Or
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has once again made the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual award.
When asked by L'Equipe who his top picks for the award would be, Mbappe stated (as quoted by The Mirror):
“My top three? I would say Benzema, myself, and Mané. I would say that this year is a success for Benzema. He’s 34 years old, has just had the season of his life, has won another Champions League and is often decisive."
Mbappe feels that Karim Benzema should win the Ballon d'Or this year. He also claimed that he himself has done well in the last few seasons and made an impact for PSG and France. He said:
"If I were Karim, if I don’t win this, I’ll stop thinking about the Ballon d’Or forever. I want to win the Ballon d’Or very soon. Like many. Except that there are perhaps not many who dare to admit it. I’m still convinced that the hardest thing is to win the first."
He added:
“I think that my 18-21 year old period allowed me to stabilise in the Top 10. I wasn’t an impactful enough player. For the last two years, I think I have reached a new level, I have a more assertive status on the pitch, I am doing better in the decisive matches. In short, I am a more credible and serious candidate.”
Mbappe scored 39 goals and provided 26 assists in 46 matches for PSG across all competitions last season.
