Kylian Mbappe suffers final PSG failure in the Champions League

Kylian Mbappe probably envisioned his last Champions League performance with Paris St-Germain would involve winning the trophy at Wembley. However, the outcome was not at all what he imagined.

Mbappe had a rough ending in PSG's last game. He fell while trying to catch a ball that was too far away to reach, which was happening during a time where the Parisians were already losing.

In the last few seconds of injury time, there was a slip. However, Borussia Dortmund had already secured a 2-0 aggregate victory with a strong defensive performance that involved high-pressure tactics and some fortunate occurrences.

The final blow to one of the most underwhelming periods in contemporary European football was caused by a blunder, marking the end of PSG's pursuit of the Champions League despite having a talented roster of players.

Rio Ferdinand, a former defender for England who won the Champions League with Manchester United in 2008, spoke to TNT Sports and said that Kylian Mbappe's recent behavior was out of the ordinary. Mbappe is known for performing well in high-pressure situations, on large stages that are very significant.

Throughout his professional life, he has always risen to the challenge. However, during the two sessions, he seemed quite underwhelming.

"He lacked decision-making skills and was not efficient in executing actions."

In 2011, Qatar Sports Investment acquired PSG and their top priority became winning the largest trophy in Europe. This pursuit was supported by a growing trend of lavish spending.

Things got even more exciting in 2017 when Paris Saint-Germain broke the world record by buying Neymar from Barcelona. Then, a year later, they signed Mbappe after he helped France win the World Cup.

In 2021, it appeared that the dream was nearly within reach. Lionel Messi, one of the greatest of all time, had joined the team on a free transfer. With such a talented trio leading the way, it seemed that they had a strong chance at winning their first-ever Champions League.

However, none of those individuals will be present in Paris during the summer as they will be dispersed across Miami, Saudi Arabia, and possibly Madrid. It seems unlikely that the Parc des Princes cabinet will have a Champions League trophy among its collection.

From 2017 onwards, PSG has emerged victorious in almost everything they could win - conquering six out of seven Ligue 1 titles, clinching three Coupes de France, and securing the French League Cup's final ever edition. Moreover, they have a chance to scoop another Coupe de France if they beat Lyon in the 2024 final.

However, the Champions League has eluded PSG so far. In fact, they have only managed to advance past the last 16 round three times since 2017. They made it to the final in the year of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the semi-finals in the following season, and now in the current season they are still in the running.

PSG is still not considered part of the top tier. They have not won any of the four matches they played in their previous two Champions League semifinals against Manchester City during the 2020-21 season and against Dortmund in the 2023-24 season.

This setback will hurt badly, as they were unable to score against the team ranked fifth in the German league despite having taken 44 shots in two matches. This is the biggest quantity of shots taken by a squad in a two-game Champions League series without scoring a goal since Opta began recording statistics in the 2003-04 season.

During the match, they hit the post six times, with four of those times happening during the second half in Paris. Warren Zaire-Emery got penalized for missing the goal by hitting the post when he had a clear chance to score. Mats Hummels managed to score for Dortmund with a magnificent towering header right after.

Nuno Mendes attempted a shot from afar which hit the framework, and both Mbappe and Vitinha also hit the crossbar during the last few minutes of the game.

This illustrates once again how PSG doesn't possess the necessary skills for the crucial games in the Champions League, with their star players like Mbappe being unsuccessful when it's most important.

Ferdinand praised Dortmund for their outstanding defensive effort against Mbappe, as they effectively prevented him from creating one-on-one scoring chances.

However, the major players often manage to identify an opportune time.

PSG has demonstrated a strong determination to make it this far in the 2023-24 Champions League. They have overcome great obstacles, such as bouncing back from their 4-1 defeat against Newcastle during the group stage. These instances indicate a promising future for the team.

In the previous match against Newcastle, Mbappe scored a penalty goal in the 98th minute, which helped them secure a point. This point played a crucial role in their second-place finish in Group F. Despite being behind Dortmund, they managed to stay ahead of AC Milan.

Afterward, they made an astonishing recovery in the second leg to defeat Barcelona and proceed to the quarter-finals. They exhibited a combination of elegance and strength, which mirrored their coach Luis Enrique.

It's obvious that he's preparing for what's to come. PSG fielded their youngest starting lineup in a Champions League semi-final match since Arsenal did against Manchester United in 2008-09. The average age was 24 years and 157 days.

During his press conference after the match, Luis Enrique expressed his satisfaction with the performance of his team, stating that he was pleased with their unity and dedication, as they put forth their best effort.

The fans were amazing. I desire for us to maintain this unity in the future. Athletes who work hard for the team's emblem.

PSG is entering a fresh phase, however, there is uncertainty about whether they can steer clear of past disappointments.