Presented as the possible future star of PSG, Bradley Barcola is going through a very difficult time, like his sinking against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The comparison with Kylian Mbappé comes back like a boomerang.
When he signed for Paris Saint-Germain from Olympique Lyonnais, Bradley Barcola aroused the enthusiasm of the capital club's supporters, as the young striker appeared to have legs of fire. While Daniel Riolo nicknamed him Bambithe Parc des Princes roared with pleasure at each action carried out by the man who then quickly became a French international. But this season, while PSG no longer has any stars since the departure of Kylian Mbappé, Bradley Barcola is going through a huge slump. In Ligue 1, the former Lyonnais is still an illusion, but in the Champions League, it is a real disaster, the 22-year-old going through each match like a ghost. This was again the case on Tuesday evening against Bayern, even to the point that Luis Enrique took him out in the second half. This earned him brutal attacks.
Barcola, it turns into a fiasco
In So Foot, the tone is set regarding Bradley Barcola when noting it: “ 2 out of 10. Ultimately OL were right, perhaps a loan to Servette de Genève would do them good. » For her part, Yacine Hamened, who works for Paris United, is cash: “ For several weeks I have been saying that he is too readable, that he does not bring variety to his game. I find him less impactful, he is less invigorating (…) Barcola against Munich, he was lost, he didn't 'had no reference points. He has tactical limits and what's more he has no competition. When there was the Leao rumor, we said no because there was no need for competition from Barcola. At PSG, we want players without competition. We are all missing competitors. Barcola has a year and a half in Ligue 1, it's normal that he is in this phase of stagnation. But it remains to be seen when it will end, because now all the teams know it and expect it. And what's more, he starts every match, that's a lot »
For Le Parisien, Bradley Barcola's performance deserves a 2 out of 10, while in L'Equipe the young striker obtains 3 out of 10. And inevitably, all this has relaunched the debates on the value of this PSG without Kylian Mbappé, at the time where some made Barcola his replacement. “ Mbappé at Barcola's age against reigning European champion Bayern, it was night and day, when you think about the ingratitude of the Parisians it's really funny. Learn to respect your legends. Neymar and Messi included », writes, on X, a Real Madrid supporter in reference to Kylian Mbappé's performance in 2021 during the match against Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
In this remote duel, Kylian Mbappé probably understood everything. Indeed, in the fall, when asked about Bradley Barcola's performances with France and PSG, the French star called for caution. “ I wish him the best. I hope you spare it because today it's fresh, it's new. But when there are matches where he doesn't score, you shouldn't come and ask me the same questions to tell me that it's a draw », Launched Kylian Mbappé.
