Neymar Jr sending off blamed on ‘frustration’ by PSG manager Christophe Galtier
- Seb Sternik
- 29 December 2022
Neymar Jr marked his return from the World Cup in controversial fashion as Paris Saint-Germain sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory over Strasbourg.
Just 10 days on from losing the World Cup final, Kylian Mbappe became the star of the show as PSG salvaged a late win against Strasbourg on the return of Ligue 1.
Marquinhos opened the scoring in the 14th minute as he headed in Neymar's free kick.
The hosts dominated possession in the opening half but were unable to add more goals as they took their 1-0 lead into the break.
Strasbourg, who are second from bottom in the league, levelled things up in the second half as Marquinhos put the ball into his own net.
Neymar received a yellow card for a foul just 10 minutes later, though the Brazilian wasn't done there.
Seconds later, the forward burst into the area and went down in search of a penalty. Instead, referee Clement Turpin showed the 30-year-old a second yellow card for simulation.
Despite going down to 10 men, PSG battled on with Mbappe winning a penalty in the 95th minute. The Frenchman found the back of the net from the spot to move the Parisians eight-points clear at the top of Ligue 1.
Not a good return for Neymar... 😳
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) December 28, 2022
The PSG star is sent off on his return to Ligue 1 for this dive inside the box... 🟥 pic.twitter.com/Fz7OgObXb9
Neymar's sending off was one of the main talking points in Christophe Galtier's post-match press conference.
The PSG boss said: "Neymar alternated the game between ups and downs. I can understand that there is anger in him, he really wanted to play the next two games."
When questioned about Neymar's apparent dive, Galtier added: "As much as I can understand the simulation, he deserves the yellow [card], a few minutes before he suffers a bad foul and his first yellow is very severe compared to the number of fouls suffered by Ney."
The 56-year-old added: "Strasbourg is a team that plays well, but also gives off a lot of strength and power. There was a lot of impact in this match.
"I regret that the excess of commitment was not sanctioned more harshly for certain players. It could have generated a little frustration for Ney."
Galtier also praised Mbappe, saying: "I think he is on the level of what he did in Qatar.
"He's benefited from a few days off. Despite the sadness, he had an exceptional tournament, and his recovery means he's been on the pace.
"Since his return, he was determined to play our next two matches. He was the trigger for victory when it was tough. He has taught the whole team with his selflessness."
