Lionel Messi, Neymar Jr., and Kylian Mbappe guided Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) to a commanding 2-1 win against Juventus in their Champions League opening clash on Tuesday (September 6). However, the brilliant effort on display from the Parisians would have seen yet another goal in the 51st minute, and fans were not happy about the missed opportunity.
A brilliant counter-attack from the French outfit saw Messi pick up the ball deep in their own third, with most Juventus players caught out of position. Messi beat his marker and drove down the right flank alongside Mbappe before playing on the Frenchman, who carried the ball into the final third.
Already having bagged a brace, Mbappe marauded into the box from the right and decided to take his chance at goal, but missed the target entirely. It did not help that Neymar had run in from the left. A squared pass by the former Monaco man to his Brazilian teammate would likely have resulted in a goal.
Rather than pass the ball to Neymar, Mbappe completely misfired his shot, and many fans took to Twitter to slam the superstar for his selfishness.
Here is a selection of tweets from the enraged fans:
It also did not help that Juventus ended up scoring from a corner, barely two minutes after Mbappe's missed chance. However, the Bianconeri could add no further goals. PSG took home all three points and would have been generally pleased with the performances on display, even if they couldn't keep a clean sheet.
Mbappe, Neymar, and Messi on form as trio guide PSG to Champions League win against Juventus
Aside from the failed opportunity to make it three goals for PSG, the attacking trident was on hand to perform admirably and see off the lackluster Bianconeri. From the get-go, the Parisians hounded their Italian opponents, attacking with intent and eventually opening the scoring early on.
Brilliant link-up play between the attackers saw Mbappe score in the fifth minute, with Neymar turning provider through a well-weighted pass to tear open the defense. The France international scored his second in the 22nd minute, this time assisted by Achraf Hakimi, who played a remarkable one-two to slice through the defense.
Weston McKennie finally reduced the deficit for Juventus with a powered header that beat Gianluigi Donnarumma's outstretched frame. Although they scored in the 53rd minute, the Italian outfit were unable to equalize, eventually leaving the Parc des Princes without a single point.