Kylian Mbappe fumed with officials after Paris Saint-Germain teammate Neymar was given a controversial red card on their return to club football.
The two forwards returned to Ligue 1 action after suffering World Cup heartbreak with France and Brazil respectively. Just 10 days after Mbappe lost in the final in Qatar, he returned to the PSG line-up for their first game following the break.
And it was a dramatic return at the Parc des Princes with the French champions recovering from going down to 10 men to beat Strasbourg in the last minute of added-on time. PSG were tasked with winning the game with a man fewer after Neymar was dismissed shortly after the hour mark.
His red card came after picking up two yellows in quick succession, first for a foul and then for what referee Clement Turpin adjudged to be simulation. Neymar went down in the box under a challenge from Alexander Djiku, with replays clearly showing no contact was made.
However, Mbappe was quick to jump to the defence of his colleague, claiming that he wasn’t actually appealing for a penalty to be given. In footage obtained by Prime Video, Mbappe can be seen shouting: “You can’t give him a red! He didn’t say anything! He didn’t ask for anything!”
PSG boss Christiophe Galtier also defended his player, who is believed to have stormed out of the stadium, rather than wait for the final whistle. Galtier did though suggest that the referee had little choice but to show a yellow card for Neymar's dive.
"Neymar alternated the game between ups and downs. I can understand that there is anger in him, he really wanted to play the next two games," Galtier said.
"As much as I can understand the simulation, he deserves the yellow…a few minutes before he suffers a bad foul and his first yellow is very severe compared to the number of fouls suffered by Ney."
He added: "Strasbourg is a team that plays well but also gives off a lot of strength and power. There was a lot of impact in this match.
"I regret that the excess of commitment was not sanctioned more harshly for certain players. It could have generated a little frustration for Ney."
Mbappe, unlike his Brazilian counterpart, managed to channel his frustration into a positive for PSG, winning and then scoring a 96th-minute penalty. That capped a remarkably quick turnaround for the France striker, who wasted no time in returning to the fold following the loss to Argentina at the Lusail Stadium.
"I think he is on the level of what he did in Qatar," Galtier said of the matchwinner. "He's benefited from a few days off. Despite the sadness, he had an exceptional tournament, and his recovery means he's been on the pace.
"Since his return, he was determined to play our next two matches. He was the trigger for victory when it was tough. He has taught the whole team with his selflessness."
