“‘You have to a protect us,” implored an increasing irked Kylian Mbappé to the referee as he picked himself up from another forceful challenge. Newly promoted Nîmes had made a point of pressing the Ligue 1 champions aggressively in midfield and ruffling as many Parisian feathers as possible. Mbappé, however, saw their tactics differently. With less than 20 minutes on the clock, he was already booked for protesting, with Neymar having to lead the 19-year-old away from the referee for fear of further punishment. Mbappé’s ire did little more than simmer, however, and in injury time – after his thunderous finish had won the game for PSG – he reacted aggressively to a trip from Nîmes midfielder Taji Savanier and was dismissed for the first time in his Ligue 1 career.” Guardian
