Even though they lead the Ligue 1 standings and look poised to win the league title for the second straight year, Paris Saint-Germain have already left a lot to be desired this season. Kylian Mbappe has been able to elude the critics, unlike Lionel Messi.
The Argentine star has constantly faced strong criticism from the French media and the PSG fans, who have whistled him more than once since he arrived in Paris. Following his team's latest loss, the boos and the harsh reviews by the press came back.
On Sunday, Christophe Galtier's side suffered a shocking home defeat to Lorient that let Olympique Marseille reduce the gap with the leaders to five points. Messi didn't look like his true self and the media was harsh on him. Mbappe, on the other hand, was defended.
Lionel Messi's performance given a 3 by the French press
Le Parisien gave Messi a 3 in their player ratings and claimed that this wasn't the first time he seems lost in a game: "It was one of those games in which the Argentine completely loses his way. He made some bad decisions, he wasn't very accurate in his initiatives and had a visible physical deficit against the Lorient players, who gagged him well."
Meanwhile, the Parisian outlet qualified Mbappe with a 5.5 and didn't blame him for the result: "Once again, the French was the only player who tried something and dinamized his team's game. A smart goal that let him extend his advantage in the goal scoring table (23). He must feel very lonely."
This is not the first time the French press blasts Messi while praising their national hero. But all feelings aside, Mbappe does deserve to be excluded from the critics because of his performances.
PSG will return to action on Sunday, when they take on Troyes on the road. Galtier's team has five games left in the league, and with a five-point lead in the table, it would be a complete disaster if it fails to win the title.
