Kylian Mbappe may have scored three penalties in the World Cup final, but can he do it on a cold Wednesday night in Montpellier?
No is the answer. The Paris Saint-Germain superstar had two bites of the cherry from the spot in the Ligue 1 clash, but was denied on both occasions by Montpellier goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte.
AFP
AFP
Unlike many at Qatar 2022, Mbappe wasn’t threatened by Argentina’s Emi Martinez, putting the ball past him on four occasions in the final.
Two came from the spot in normal and extra time, either side of a sublime volley, and Mbappe again dispatched his effort in the shoot-out, which France eventually lost.
It was arguably the greatest individual performance ever in a World Cup final, with Mbappe having more goals at that stage than any player in history, and global audiences were left stunned at his incredible courage.
However, that all went missing against Lecomte, who’s only just arrived from Espanyol.
With Marseille nipping at PSG’s heels and moving just two points behind in the Ligue 1 title race, Mbappe was given the opportunity to bite straight back from the spot against Montpellier.
Lecomte, though, read his eighth minute penalty perfectly, getting both hands to a shot destined for the bottom left corner of his net.
bt sport
bt sport
It was the goalkeeper’s second penalty save in his second appearance for his new side, but it appeared to be in vain when the match referee was advised he left his line.
The penalty had to be retaken, with Mbappe getting a second chance, aiming for the right side this time, and Lecomte managed to get a fingertip on the effort, putting it on the post.
bt sport
AFP
Even worse than a second miss in two minutes for Mbappe, was the rebound coming straight back to him, which he managed to send over the empty net.
It didn’t cost his side the three points with second-half goals from Fabian Ruiz, Lionel Messi and Warren Zaire-Emery securing PSG a 3-1 victory.
But shortly after the misses, Mbappe’s night from hell was completed when he made way for Hugo Ekitike in the 21st minute with an injury.
That could prove crucial for PSG, who have a number of sides breathing down their neck in the title race, while Bayern Munich await in the Champions League Round of 16 on Valentine’s Day.
#Mbappe missed 2 penalties in a row and another unbelievable chance 🤯❌#Ligue1 pic.twitter.com/e6QnFz3l30
— beIN SPORTS USA (@beINSPORTSUSA) February 2, 2023
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