Arsene Wenger's Assessment of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe Falls Flat in Front of His Eyes

Arsene Wenger’s prediction for Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg clash against Real Madrid and glowing assessment of both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe didn’t pan out.

Speaking on beIN SPORTS, the legendary former Arsenal manager was sharing his thoughts on PSG’s attacking talent before the high-octane encounter. He spoke about Messi’s growing connection with the French international and also used statistics to show how the pair have been improving as a duo, suggesting that they might cause plenty of issues for Real Madrid on Thursday night.

Despite Mbappe scoring in that match, his illustrious teammate was not at his best as his former La Liga rivals ended their Champions League campaign. Karim Benzema scored a hattrick in the second half to bring the capital giants back into the match with 3-2 the scoreline on aggregate.

“It took him a while to adapt, but now the connection between him and Mbappe on average per game is 12 passes. That’s quite good,” Wenger said on beIN SPORTS show.

“I think it wаs 17 in the last game аgаinst Mаdrid, so they’re getting better аt connecting, “he explained.

“But it took him а while; in the first two or three months in the PSG shirt, he didn’t always look happy, but now it’s better” the 72-year-old added.

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However, the veteran having hailed Messi and Mbappe, his analysis didn’t quite go to plan.

In that crucial match, Mbappe’s first-half strike put the Ligue1 giants in the driving seat with a 1-0 lead, but Karim Benzema completed a stunning comeback, producing three goals to dump the Parisian outfit out of the Champions League. Benzema scored three goals after the break to claim a 3-2 on aggregate victory and fire his side into the Champions League quarter-finals.

It was a heartbreak for PSG in the European title race as they once again suffered another collapse from a winning position after losing to Barcelona and Manchester United in recent years. On the other hand, Real Madrid joined Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the competition.

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