When Kylian Mbappe picks up the Sunday papers, he may not believe that he was the man who led Paris Saint-Germain to their fifth successive Coupe de la Ligue triumph.
Instead, they are set to be littered with the ongoing debate over a shambolic and inefficient Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system that appears to be designed solely for the taking of spontaneity and joy out of the game.
PSG’s 3-0 victory at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux deserves to be recognised as the night upon which Mbappe came of age for his hometown club.
It was an evening, though, upon which the merits and failures of VAR were once again laid frustratingly bare.
First came the good: PSG were awarded a penalty after Mbappe was clearly felled in the box during an incident referee Clement Turpin missed.
Then came the bad: Radamel Falcao’s goal was belatedly disallowed for offside, which even on second viewing was extremely marginal at best.
Later, the Monegasques might have had a penalty for a Cavani handball in the box, but the decision was not reviewed by the officials.
The ugly truth is, though, that on a night in which Mbappe truly broke out as a PSG player, his stunning performance was overlooked by discussion over the new refereeing system. It is something that star players will have to get used to in the weeks and months ahead as the world braces itself for what promises to be a World Cup of chaos this summer in Russia.
More VAR controversy in France!
— Goal (@goal) March 31, 2018
Should Falcao's goal have stood? pic.twitter.com/DgEfa94Lkd
The impulsiveness of the occasion might have been lessened in the ground as a puzzled crowd watched on, but it should not be allowed to detract from Mbappe’s masterclass.
Earlier in the week, the 19-year-old netted his first double for France, scoring twice in Russia during a 3-1 victory. Clearly it is an event that has got him in the mood, as the Monaco youth graduate tortured the side he is still technically contracted to, showing his World Cup warm up is gathering pace.
He might have taken the role as facilitator rather than scorer in this encounter, but there can be little doubt that it was the Paris-born forward who took over the mantle of team leader from the injured Neymar as he led his hometown club to victory.
From the beginning of the game, he was in vivacious form. No doubt he was heartened to see opposing boss Leonardo Jardim line him up against Andrea Raggi in a mismatch that saw youth trump experience with consummate ease.
With only a couple of minutes on the clock, the jet-heeled attacker had left the veteran Italian in his wake. It was a scene that was to be repeated on numerous occasions throughout.
Raggi constantly allowed himself to be caught too high up the field, and while the blame on the opening goal could not be blamed on him – it was Kamil Glik who committed the foul in the centre of the pitch – he was nowhere to be seen as Mbappe sped into an ocean of space before setting up Angel Di Maria to put the game beyond Monaco’s grasp.
He was constantly PSG’s decisive outlet, providing the type of consistent threat that he was so noted for when he was playing in the red and white last term. It was fitting, then, that as the game reached its climax, he should set up Cavani's second with another incisive run and offload.
All that was lacking was a goal. He might have got that just before the hour mark, but Danijel Subasic was quickly out to thwart him. Moments later, he flicked just wide from an improbable angle.
VAR will dominate the media on Sunday, but it was not the officials who defeated Monaco - it was their own youth product, who is blossoming nicely into the superstar he is destined to become.
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)