Luis Enrique Asserts Kylian Mbappe’s Frustration With PSG is ‘Normal’ Despite Qualifying Through UCL Groupstage

Getting to the UEFA Champions League’s knockout phase will indeed be a first sigh of relief for teams and players. Lining up against Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint Germain got past the group stage last night. However, it turns out that PSG centerpiece Kylian Mbappe wasn’t happy as his team eventually settled for a draw. The Frenchman was visibly annoyed on the field. Albeit the frustration, PSG boss Luis Enrique got the superstar’s back, deeming his gestures very normal.

Enrique not only had Kylian Mbappe’s back but also guaranteed to step up if a player’s frustrations led to any tensions. Besides, the PSG boss also explained the idea behind his team settling for a draw.

Luis Enrique finds no problem with Kylian Mbappe’s on-field frustration

After PSG managed to equalize against Dortmund, Luis Enrique asked his players to slow down towards the end of the game. Per Enrique, settling for a draw was just fine. Kylian Mbappe begged to differ, longing to push for a match-winning goal. However, the team aligned with the boss’ tactic, making the Frenchman a frustrated outlier. After the match, the Spaniard addressed his striker’s unhappiness about the team’s mentality. “Mbappé’s frustation? It’s normal for the players to be frustrated. We had 5 chances to score, 5 chances,” he quoted.

He pointed out that the team could ‘stupidly’ concede a late goal and lose the match if they went guns blazing on the offense. Then the Spanish boss asserted he is fine to deal with stars’ on-field frustrations and disagreements. “If a player is frustrated, it’s up to me to manage this risk-taking as a coach. I have to manage tensions, that’s my role,” he added. While a draw is not as exciting an outcome as a win, Enrique’s tactics have indeed saved PSG from a demotion to the UEFA Europa League. However, the PSG winger’s frustration is not a surprise, as it is not just the somber draw that matters. What’s going on?

Fate denies Mbappe a goal, despite the unrelenting thirst

PSG’s 24-year-old MVP catapulted the team’s offense against Borussia Dortmund with utmost passion. Thanks to the Frenchman’s assist, PSG equalized the match with Warren Zaire-Emery’s goal. Besides, Kylian Mbappe himself came so close to driving two goals into Dortmund’s net. In the 16th minute of the match, the 2018 World Cup winner fired at an open net, only to be denied by Niklas Sule’s classic clearance off the line.

READ MORE: Jude Bellingham Transfer Killed Kylian Mbappe’s Real Madrid Transfer Last Summer

Such a close attempt and an assist combined with PSG’s slowed-down gameplay did not stop the 24-year-old’s attacks. In the dying minutes, the ball hit Dortmund’s nets off Kylian Mbappe’s feet. However, a VAR decision was soon to rule out what could have become PSG’s winning goal. Considering all this, as pointed out by Luis Enrique, he was quite calm despite the showcase of discontentment from the Frenchman.

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