Christophe Galtier hailed the performance and focus of Kylian Mbappe against Benfica after "very surprising" reports emerged that the forward again wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain.
Mbappe gave PSG the lead at Parc des Princes on Tuesday, converting from the penalty spot in the first half to become the club's leading scorer in the Champions League.
Joao Mario subsequently responded with a spot-kick of his own after the interval, though the result seemingly paled insignificance after reports suggested Mbappe had demanded an exit from PSG.
The World Cup-winning 23-year-old only signed a new three-year extension in May but has reportedly become unsettled once more after a failure to meet his demands both tactically and in recruitment.
PSG football advisor Luis Campos emphatically denied those reports by claiming Mbappe had not informed the club of such intentions, while head coach Galtier also expressed confusion over the speculation.
"We talked a lot about him this afternoon. I didn't talk about it with him, the objective is to stay focused on the match," Galtier told RMC Sport after PSG were held to a 1-1 draw in the Group H encounter.
"He gave a lot, he showed that he is a great player, focused on the game and the competition. We were all focused on the goal and on the match.
"From the rumour, we make information and from information, we make a statement. I find that very surprising a few hours before a very important match..."
Mbappe's goal was not enough to secure progression to the Champions League knockout stages, though Benfica and PSG sit four points clear of Juventus and Maccabi Haifa at the Group H summit.
PSG will aim to secure qualification with two games left to play, sitting level on eight points with Roger Schmidt's side, though Galtier may be concerned after having to withdraw Mbappe in the closing stages.
"He took a nasty tackle, he has a knock. I preferred to make sure to bring on a fresh player," Galtier added.
"We can regret the penalty we conceded because the action was not dangerous. We lacked verticality in the final third.
"We have played high-intensity matches, obviously that generates tiredness, but fatigue is in everyone, it's not an excuse."
The stalemate left Benfica winless in away six Champions League games against French sides (D3 L3), scoring just two goals in these six games, though the Portuguese side deserve credit.
Schmidt's men are the first team to avoid defeat in both group stage games in the competition against PSG since the Ligue 1 side were twice held by Napoli in the 2018-19 season.
"It makes me proud, of course. The way the players are playing in these difficult games, we never gave up, we always believed in ourselves," Schmidt told Eleven Sport.
"When you can't win, you have to take a point. I said it after the first game and I repeat it now. I think it was a fair result, again. Playing two games like this against Paris says a lot about the quality and attitude of the players."
Mbappe must improve to 'follow Ronaldo's path' at Madrid, says France World Cup winner Candela
Kylian Mbappe can "follow Cristiano Ronaldo's path at Real Madrid" if he works harder, according to former France defender and World Cup winner Vincent Candela.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward has endured a tricky start to life with Los Blancos since making the switch as a free agent.
Despite scoring eight goals in 16 appearances across all competitions, Mbappe is yet to truly catch fire at Santiago Bernabeu, where his displays have been subjected to widespread criticism.
The France forward has underperformed his season's expected goals (xG) total by 2.04, while he was left out of Les Bleus' squad for their recent Nations League matches after failing to find the net in his last four appearances.
Mbappe is averaging a goal every 166 minutes in all competitions this term, compared to one every 88 minutes in his final campaign with PSG, and was flagged offside eight times during the humiliating 4-0 defeat to Barcelona in October.
Candela, who was part of France's squad that won the 1998 World Cup, says Mbappe must up his game in the Spanish capital.
However, the 51-year-old is confident his compatriot will do that and, if he does, can potentially emulate a Madrid icon, who became the club's leading scorer and won four Champions League titles during his glittering spell.
"He has to work harder in Spain. He can still grow and become a stronger player," Candela said in an interview with RB Sports, via Diario Sport.
"At Real Madrid, Mbappe is a player among others, while at PSG, he was an icon.
"I hope Mbappe can follow Cristiano Ronaldo's path at Real Madrid, but it's too early to compare them. First, he has to win the Champions League, as the Portuguese has done several times."
Serie A side Genoa confirm sacking of head coach Gilardino
Serie A side Genoa have confirmed the departure of their head coach Alberto Gilardino, with Patrick Vieira reportedly on his way in.
Gilardino, a World Cup winner with Italy in 2006, leaves the club with them sitting just one point above the relegation size with 10 points from 12 matches this season.
A former striker who played for clubs including Genoa, Parma, AC Milan and Fiorentina, Gilardino took charge of Genoa in 2022 and helped them earn promotion to the top division before a 11th-place finish during the 2023-24 season.
"The club thanks Gilardino for the goals achieved together over the years and wishes him the best for his career," Genoa said in a statement.
The 42-year-old saw his side salvage a late 1-1 draw against Cesc Fabregas' Como in their last match before the international break.
Genoa were also knocked out of the Coppa Italia in the second round following a defeat to Sampdoria on penalties in September.
Arsenal legend Vieira is set to replace him, according to multiple reports.
The former France midfielder has been out of work since leaving Strasbourg by mutual consent in July.
Jonathan David names Barcelona as dream club amid Lille uncertainty
Jonathan David admits it is his dream to play for Barcelona as he prepares to enter the final six months of his Lille contract.
The Canada international is into his fifth season with the Ligue 1 side but is due to become a free agent at the end of the current campaign.
Lille have attempted to persuade David with a new deal, though he looks set to depart Stade Pierre-Mauroy in 2025 – potentially as early as January if a club is prepared to pay a transfer fee.
However, while the 24-year-old is seemingly open to a move to Barcelona, he suggested he would prefer to wait until the end of the campaign before taking the next step in his career.
"Going to a club midseason is never easy," he told The Athletic. "It's not like the beginning of a season where you have a pre-season, you get to know your team-mates, you have time to gel.
"In January, things are very hectic. It's about right now. It's tougher."
"[Barcelona] was always the team I grew up supporting. When you grow up supporting a team, it's your dream to play for them.
"Some people might say, 'Oh, he's staying at Lille, this is a downgrade, he's not getting better'. But for me, there's always opportunities to get better."
David has scored 13 goals in 19 games for Lille in all competitions this season, including goals against heavyweight sides Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the Champions League.
Including penalties, eight of those goals have been scored via his stronger right boot, four with his left and one with his head – an area the forward accepts he can still improve.
"Aerially, I can get better," he said. "Getting that header on target and scoring.
"I can get in good positions and win headers but the finishing touch, I'm still missing. With my back to goal, I can also get better."
David is averaging a goal every 112 minutes across all competitions this season, which compares to one every 139 minutes last season and 131 in 2022-23.
However, he still has some way to go to match the 18 goals scored in 27 league games for former club Gent in 2019-20.
"Things are good right now because I'm scoring goals," David said.
"But is this the best I've played in my life? Probably not. For me, it was my second year in Belgium. That was the season of my life."
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