Menu
Neymar returned to action for Paris Saint-Germain after playing for Brazil in the World Cup and was unsurprisingly dismissed for an ugly dive.
The superstar had a bad night as Kylian Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain to defeat Strasbourg 2-1 in the final minutes on Wednesday.
With Argentina’s Lionel Messi still away following his country’s victory at the World Cup, the two star forwards were both making their domestic comebacks.
His comeback from injury got off to a good start as he set up Marquinhos’ opening goal. But after the defender’s own goal allowed the visitors to tie the score in the second half, the superstar’s luck took a terrible turn.
The 30-year-old received his marching orders for simulation in the opposing penalty area in the 62nd minute after already receiving a booking for a foul moments earlier.
Neymar received a feed from Kylian Mbappe on the left side of the box after weaving through the defense. Neymar moved the ball ahead as Alexander Djiku, the opposing defender, approached to challenge him.
Despite Djiku stopping his sprint before touching the ball or Neymar, Neymar threw himself to the ground. Turpin quickly issued a second yellow and then a red card to Neymar, resulting in a free kick for Strasbourg.
Neymar stared in shock before joining Mbappe, Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos, and Hugo Ekitike in protesting Turpin’s choice to give Strasbourg a free kick rather than PSG a penalty.
Neymar stumbled off the field as a result of Turpin’s refusal to budge from his initial choice. Christophe Galtier, the manager of PSG, stated that he understood Neymar’s fury, although he acknowledged that the Brazilian was justified in receiving a penalty for diving.
The PSG defender Marquinhos scored goals in both halves to tie the game at 1-1, but the French champions would not give up.
After scoring a hat-trick in the World Cup final loss to Argentina, Kylian Mbappe continued where he left off in Qatar.
Galtier, the PSG manager, gushed about Mbappe after his quicker-than-anticipated comeback to domestic play. “I believe he is on the level of what he did in Qatar,” he remarked.
“His few days off have helped. Despite the melancholy, he played exceptionally well, and his comeback indicates that he has been keeping up.
He was resolved to participate in our upcoming two matches after his return. When things got difficult, he was the catalyst for success. He has inspired the entire team with his generosity.”
Wednesday’s Ligue 1 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Strasbourg ended in a 2-1 victory for PSG thanks to the injury-time penalty from Kylian Mbappe, who also acknowledged he would never get over France’s World Cup final loss to Argentina.
