The list of soccer free agents 2022 is full of players we've spent an ungodly amount of time speculating over the last few years — Kylian Mbappé, Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Ousmane Dembélé — so it's somewhat strange to see them all leaving their respective clubs on free transfers as out of contract footballers.
PARIS - Paris Saint-Germain continued their march towards a record-equalling 10th French title when goals by Neymar and Kylian Mbappé earned them a 2-1 home victory against bitter rivals Marseille on Sunday.
Neymar's early opener for PSG was cancelled out by Duje Ćaleta Car before Mbappé's penalty sealed the win and put PSG on 74 points.
After getting bounced by Real Madrid in the Champions League, collectively booed by its own supporters at the Parc des Princes and hammered by Monaco at Stade Louis II, no club appreciated the international break more than PSG.
Paris Saint-Germain produced a woeful performance as they lost 3-0 at Monaco in Ligue 1 on Sunday, a result that will put coach Mauricio Pochettino under more pressure less than two weeks after their Champions League exit.
PSG, on 65 points from 29 games, still lead Marseille and Nice by 15 points before those sides meet later on Sunday, following a third straight away league defeat.
Paris Saint-Germain returned home Sunday to fierce boos, jeers and whistles after again turning itself into a global laughingstock with a preposterous 29-minute Champions League collapse against Real Madrid last Wednesday.
With one surging run, Luka Modrić flipped the Real Madrid-PSG matchup on its head. With one nutmeg assist from the diminutive Croatian, the best team in the history of Europe once again showed its dominance in the Champions League. And PSG, despite its unreal attacking talent, is once again exiting the Champions League early.
During a 10-minute prematch segment on CBS ahead of Wednesday's Champions League Round of 16 second leg between Real Madrid and PSG at the Bernabéu, Thierry Henry dissected what makes Kylian Mbappé "just a freak."
Henry said that while speed kills and is what strikes fear into defenders, Mbappé — while consistently being the fastest man on the pitch — combines that pace with control, technique, balance, composure, power, accuracy, left foot and right foot, making him "virtually impossible to defend."
The Kylian Mbappé to Real Madrid transfer saga has already taken turns that are without precedent, but after the 23-year-old again showcased why he's already the most electrifying footballer on the planet during PSG's 1-0 win over Real on Tuesday, another twist was reported by The Independent
Let's start this Champions League match report with one particular talking point: Change is always difficult, especially for our soccer overlords in England, and there's going to be a lot written about how Real Madrid's negative approach at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday exemplifies UEFA's mistaken decision to do away with the away goals rule.
The knockout stages of the Champions League begin Tuesday with what's arguably the most eagerly anticipated Round of 16 matchup ever — a clash between the club that never settles for anything less than lifting the trophy, record 13-time winner Real Madrid, and the club whose entire apparatus is hellbent on making that happen for the first time, PSG.