SUMMARY
- On February 18, 2024, Paris Saint Germain took on Nates in a Ligue fixture.
- On the same day Manchester City host Chelsea in a Premier League fixture at the Etihad Stadium.
Kylian Mbappe has found a great rival in the form of Erling Haaland. The Frenchman and the Norwegian striker are two of the most elite strikers in the world. The two young talents from the next generation forwards show excellent pace and tenacious scoring abilities. However, they have rarely clashed on the pitch and their rivalry is still at a very nascent stage.
Kylian Mbappé bags his 21st goal of the season 🇫🇷🎯 pic.twitter.com/shkXPRWK5w
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) February 17, 2024
On February 18, 2024, Kylian Mbappe’s Paris Saint Germain took on Nates in a Ligue fixture. While Erling Haaland and Manchester City host Chelsea in a Premier League fixture at the Etihad Stadium.
Kylian Mbappe becomes the player with the most away goals in the 23/24 season
PSG boss Luis Enrique however decided to bench the French superstar for the game. Just days before, the game the French attacker had communicated his decision to the club’s hierarchy that he won’t be extending his contract with the French club.
Although the decision to bench the French captain looked very harsh, Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano revealed that it was a tactical decision by the club’s manager. Even though Kylian Mbappe only had a restricted playing time, he still managed to break an important record.
🔴🔵 Kylian Mbappé started on bench as Luis Enrique wanted him to rest after UCL.
Manager decision, not PSG decision.
Kykisn told PSG that he’s available to do his best until June but no chance to stay.
🚨⚪️ Mbappé already received Real Madrid contract proposal since January. pic.twitter.com/o0pwh9oW5T
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 18, 2024
Kylian Mbappe came off the bench in the 62nd minute to replace former Real Madrid player Marco Asensio. The 25-year-old then converted a penalty in the 78th minute to win the game for his club by a 2-0 margin. In doing so, Kylian Mbappe managed to score his 13th away goal in the Ligue 1 23/24 season, the most by any player in Europe’s top 5 leagues.
The 25-year-old already is 10 goals clear at the top of the scoring charts in the French League, with 21 goals in his first 20 appearances. The Paris Saint Germain looked very pleased to hold the European record as he even posted about his achievement via his Instagram story. However, soccer fans, think the 25-year-old took a jab at his rival via the social media update.
Erling Haaland missed multiple easy chances against Chelsea
Kylian Mbappe’s social media post came on the same night when Erling Haaland had a wasteful night playing against Chelsea. The Norwegian attempted 9 attempts at the goal but didn’t manage to score a single goal. The former Borussia Dortmund player accumulated an xG of 1.71, which is the highest for any PL player in the 23/24 season in a match where the player hasn’t scored. Kylian’s jab might also be targeted at the fact that Kylian has 5 more away goals than Erling Haaland (8) in the domestic leagues.
Erling’s coach Pep Guardiola however looked very supportive of the Norwegian at the press conference after the game against Chelsea. He applauded the 23-year-old’s efforts by saying (via Sky Sports), “It’s good to have nine shots and next time he’s going to score.” The Spaniard also joked that he has no authority to criticize a striker given Pep’s failures to score goals as a player. Manchester City drew the game 1-1.
Despite his poor performance on the night Erling Haaland still has a decent record in the Premier League so far. He has scored 16 goals in 19 appearances for Man City and is the PL’s top scorer. As for his rival Kylian Mbappe, he hopes to join his dream club Real Madrid as soon as possible.