Some may have suggested Cristiano Ronaldo’s form is in decline, but Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe is of a different opinion.
Cristiano Ronaldo has enjoyed an incredible career that has seen him win almost all important trophies in football, year in year out providing amazing stats and inspiring a generation of players, including PSG striker Kylian Mbappe. You would think then he would be forgiven for his current lackluster season. However, it has left some wondering whether the 33-year-old career has not entered a phase of decline.
Ronaldo’s current season has seen him score 11 goals in 17 appearances for Real in all competitions, by no means a terrible record for most players. It is, however, a long way off the Portuguese’s usual pace. The quality of player’s individual stats are not much different from those of Real Madrid as a whole. The current Champions League holders are in fourth place in La Liga, eight points behind leaders Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe has been one of the most talked about forwards in the world, during the last two seasons. It has been widely reported that Real Madrid has manifested an interest in signing the young French forward, who is currently on loan to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Ligue 1 striker says that in his opinion, it is unfair to consider that Ronaldo’s is past the peak of his abilities. Ronaldo and Mbappe are likely to meet when PSG face Real Madrid in the last-16 phase of the Champions League.
“Ronaldo is not on the decline. If he is on the decline, there are many more players on the decline then. He is a great player. But we hope he will remain quiet against us,” the French striker says.
PSG has largely been the dominant force in the Ligue 1 (with the exception of last season’s loss to Monaco), but success in the Champions League has eluded them. “We will prepare for the game by paying attention to all their strengths. And he is one of their strengths in the team,” Mbappe says of the team’s preparation.
With PSG looking set to win the Ligue 1 trophy once more and investments which have seen them transferring the world’s most expensive player, Neymar, the Parisian side will feel disappointed to leave the UCL this early in the competition, even if it were to be at the hands of last season’s winners, Real Madrid.
