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After spending nearly 400 million euros in the summer (including Mbappe's deal that will kick in next year), a lot was riding on PSG.
All those dreams went down the drain late on Tuesday night, as PSG were comfortably knocked out of the UEFA Champions League after a 1-2 defeat at home to Real Madrid. The aggregate score of 5-2 will only make the gash deep in Parisian hearts.
A thrashing dealt to Bayern Munich in the second match day merely flattered to deceive as PSG go out of the premium tournament once more in the RO16 - a curse they wanted to break this year through the services of a certain Brazilian.
#1 Unai Emery's tactics
If Unai Emery does remain the manager of PSG next year (or frankly, after tonight), it will remain one of the biggest mysteries in world football.
Be it choosing to play with Lo Celso or choosing to leave out both Thiago Silva and Di Maria in the first leg at the Bernabeu, Emery's tactics in the last match were highly questionable. This time, it wasn't any different.
Just like how he removed Cavani at a crucial juncture in the previous fixture, his substitutions this time left a lot of heads scratching. To be fair to him, the sending off of Verratti did make things difficult for them. But waiting till the game gets out of hand to make substitutions when the current game plan isn't working is not the sign of a good manager.
Speaking of game plans, what was PSG's plan today? Without Neymar, they didn't really have the quality to play a fast-paced, one-touch football, but that is exactly what PSG did. They rarely utilised the space they got on the wings and when they did, the crosses didn't find their way to Cavani.
On the whole, it seems like Emery just isn't cut out for this job on an elite level. If he does bounce back, it should be after a thorough rebranding of ideas and tactics.
#2 PSG's glaring midfield problem
The midfield three against Madrid comprised of Thiago Motta, Marco Verratti and Adrien Rabiot. Things could not have been worse.
Marco Verratti got sent off during the 66th minute after accumulating two yellow cards; Motta and Rabiot made no successful tackles or interceptions during the game despite being defensive midfielders; Rabiot, in particular, was dispossessed 4 times during the game and made the error that led to Real Madrid's second goal.
Rabiot and Morra are good enough to play against Ligue 1 teams that are more than happy to respect PSG, but if PSG genuinely want to be the best team in the world, they have to be better than this. Most games are essentially won in the midfield, and what PSG have with them is far from world class.
Why did PSG sell Lucas Moura if they don't have enough depth? Why not employ Draxler as an attacking option and have Di Maria control the game from midfield? This game has only left the fans with more questions than answers.
#3 Zidane's fringe players stepping up
Real Madrid's midfield wasn't that great either. With Modric and Kroos not fully fit for the encounter, Zidane opted for the 4-4-2, with a midfield consisting of Asensio, Kovacic, Casemiro and Lucas Vazquez. Here's the difference between PSG and Real Madrid - Real Madrid's players stepped up to the task when it mattered.
Casemiro and Kovacic combined to make 9 tackles during the game, while Asensio and Vazquez chipped in with 2 and 3 respectively; Casemiro completed an incredible 56 of 57 attempted passes while Asensio and Vazquez completed 50 (51 attempted) and 53 (58 attempted) respectively and Vazquez assisted the opening goal for the visitors.
It wasn't just about the numbers. Real Madrid looked the better side through the course of both the legs - both offensively and defensively, and for all the flak he gets from the media, Zidane really showed that the Champions League is his to lose.
#4 Mbappe needs more time to mature
Without the talismanic Neymar to guide them to glory, Kylian Mbappe was the man PSG were expecting to carry their hopes. Unfortunately, it proved too heavy too soon for the teenage sensation.
Mbappe had a glorious chance early in the game - all he had to do was square the ball over to a charging Cavani in the middle of the box, but the Frenchman decided to go for it himself and ended up getting only a corner. Cavani's frustrations were visible as his spread his arms out in disbelief, but what was also put on show was Mbappe's inexperience.
He might be one of football's brightest future talents, but there are somethings you only learn with time and age. What could have happened if PSG had ended up going 1-0 early is a juicy thought experiment, but it is now in the past. Mbappe didn't pass. PSG didn't score. He needs to buckle up, keep his head down and move on.
19 is no age to be carrying the hope of an entire team. PSG took a gamble by paying such a huge sum for him when they could have used the fee to buy 3-4 squad players and only time can tell us for sure if it will pay off.
#5 Cristiano Ronaldo can't stop scoring
Sure, he might not have the flashy dibbling of Messi or the fancy showboating of Neymar, but who cares when Cristiano Ronaldo just can't stop scoring?
For the 8th match this season, Cristiano Ronaldo found the back of the net in the Champions League. It took a beautiful cross from Lucas Vazquez into the box, and Ronaldo jumped higher than Thiago Silva to and Marquinhos to head the ball behind Areola.
The goal excluded, Ronaldo had a brilliant game - 4 attempts on goal and hitting the woodwork once; he also completed 3 dribbles during the game and won 4 aerial duels.
Real Madrid may be out of the running in La Liga, but if Ronaldo keeps up this form in the Champions League, a third consecutive trophy will not be off the table
