Mbappe sulk explained by PSG boss Galtier after striker appears to stop running mid-attack during Montpellier victory

Paris Saint-Germain manager Christophe Galtier has explained why Kylian Mbappe appeared to sulk on the pitch after not receiving a pass from Vitinha during the club's win against Montpellier on Saturday. The French forward was among the scorers upon his return to the PSG starting XI as they thrashed their opponents 5-2 to make it two wins out of two in Ligue 1.

However, Mbappe also missed a penalty in the first half and appeared to throw a strop during one attack, with Galtier eventually taking the decision to substitute him with four minutes of normal time remaining.

Watch Mbappe appearing to sulk during PSG's win over Montpellier

During the match, which was broadcast by BT Sport in the UK, PSG midfielder Vitinha made a run down the middle of the pitch from his own half and had the option to pass the ball towards Mbappe, who was on his left, and Lionel Messi, who made a run from the right flank.

In footage which went viral after the match, Vitinha ignored Mbappe's call and decided to push the ball towards Messi, leaving the French star visibly frustrated as he completely stopped his movement and turned his back on the play.

What did Galtier say about Mbappe's sulking?

Mbappe's tantrum on the pitch raised more than a few eyebrows but PSG boss Galtier did not want to read too much into it.

"Kylian played his last game three weeks ago so I knew it was going to be tough on a physical level for him," he told Canal Plus.

"He's a competitor. He wants to be good and he wants to be good quickly, but a top footballer is not on and off like that; it takes a little time to regain 100 per cent of his athletic abilities.

"When he's at 100 per cent, he'll make the difference even more. These are players who like to score, who want to score, who attack. It's a bit normal for him to be disappointed at being a little short physically compared to his teammates."

Mbappe was also backed by his teammate Marco Verratti, who insisted that his outburst just proves that he cares for the team.

The Italian said: "With the penalty, he sulked a bit but that's normal. He's a great player, he wants to make a difference.

"It's good when he's angry, it means he cares about this team."