Paris star Neymar says it’s a shame he and Mbappe and Lionel Messi waited until recently to rub off on each other.
Neymar and Mbappe both completed hat-tricks as Paris thrashed Clermont 6-1 away from home on Sunday night, leaving Mauricio Pochettino’s side leading the Ligue 1 with 12 points.
Messi also dished out three assists in the game and while Neymar was pleased with their recent performances, he regretted that it took so long for the trio to rub off.
All three superstars have come under fire this season due to Paris’ early exits in the Champions League and French Cup.
Neymar said they are now fully motivated to end the season by winning the Ligue 1 title, however, telling reporters after his win: “First of all, I’m happy to have won tonight. I’m also happy to have scored three goals.”
“We are getting better and better. All three of us are at 100 percent but it’s a shame that we waited until near the end of the season to be at our best. However, we still have honored to compete in the league.”
Mbappe echoed Neymar’s sentiments in an interview with Canal+, adding, “Yes, it’s a shame that it’s only now that the spark has rubbed off, there have been quite a few situations and accidents that have caused us to delay combining to play at our best. But we feel that we are three players who are all at a high level and we are trying to help the team as much as we can. That’s what happened today.”
“That’s life. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. You have to move on and it is now in the past. We went through some pain and now those pains are still there, but you need to stay positive. We have to show that we are a big club and a big team and that we are here to win trophies.”
Mbappe, who has scored 31 goals in 39 appearances in all competitions this season, including 20 in Ligue 1, now leads the Ligue 1 scoring charts and has also delivered 22 assists.
Neymar, who has played 16 fewer games than Mbappe, has scored 10 goals, while Messi has scored the fewest of the three strikers.
The seven-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored just eight goals in 27 appearances for Paris so far, but he has dished out 13 assists in Ligue 1.
