On Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund played a magnificent game to defeat the favourites to reach the final, Paris St-Germain.
The finger of blame was aimed mostly at 25-year-old superstar Kylian Mbappe with the reason being, if he wants to be counted among the greats, that he must find a way to be the difference in such matches – like all the greats.
Except Mbappe couldn’t. More was expected from the most expensive player in football than hitting the crossbar in the 86th minute.
“I’m the guy who should score goals and be decisive. When things are good, I take all the limelight and when they are not, you have to take the shadow,” he said after the second leg.
The media has since raged about the deceptive performance of the Frenchman.
These are the nights in which he must produce the goods if he hopes to be compared to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, especially when up against a 35-year-old Mats Hummels and a Dortmund defence that has shipped 40 goals in 32 Bundesliga games.
Yes it’s true, Mbappe was poor compared to the standards he has previously set but, while he didn’t have a good night, he is not to blame for the French champions’ exit from the competition.
Individuals, no matter how talented, cannot be expected to produce clutch moments in every single game to rescue their side, when the team lacks the necessary cohesion and tactical understanding to overcome well-organised opponents.