Without Mbappé “we’re better in attack and defense” says coach

When Kylian Mbappé finally left Paris Saint Germain and signed for Real Madrid last summer, the world of soccer let out a collective sigh of relief. The game’s longest-running transfer saga had finally come to an end, but how would PSG survive without their talisman?

Remarkably well, it turns out. The Parisians currently sit top of Ligue 1, ten points ahead of nearest rivals Marseille. They are unbeaten in the league and made it through to the knock-out round of the Champions League, albeit not very convincingly.

Speaking to the media this week, PSG head coach Luis Enrique made the bold claim that the departure of Mbappé has actually helped the team. The Spaniard insisted that PSG have improved at both ends of the field this season without him.

“I was very brave last season when I told you we’d have a better team in attack and defense. I still think we’re better in attack and defense, the figures are there to say it,” Luis Enrique said. “The players took it as a challenge.”

Are PSG really better without Kylian Mbappé?

It’s a bold claim, but one that does have some merit on current form. This season, without Mbappé, an imperious PSG have steamrollered their way to 2.5 points per game. Last year they were merely dominant, recording 2.2 PPG in the league.

Luis Enrique explained: “Of course we would have liked to keep Kylian, because everyone loved Kyky, but the team is responding very positively, at a spectacular level. I told you that rather than having a player who scores 40 goals, I wanted players who all score a lot. That’s our aim, to keep improving. Faced with a situation we didn’t want but which has happened, the team’s maturity is very good.”

But players of Mbappé‘s quality are really at their most important in the big games and PSG have only had a handful of games against equals so far this season. In the latter stages of the Champions League, PSG may find themselves wishing they had a 40-goal-a-season forward to call upon if they need something special.

PSG and Mbappé‘s Real Madrid find themselves in different branches of the Champions League bracket, meaning that they cannot meet until the semi-final stage. If both teams do progress and make it through to the final four, Luis Enrique may be made to reconsider his comments.

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