PARIS (AP) — Kylian Mbappé's departure was expected to sidetrack Paris Saint-Germain this season.
How would a team long viewed as over-reliant on the France superstar cope without him after his move to Real Madrid?
Who could score so freely for PSG when Mbappé averaged more than 40 goals per season over the past four campaigns and more than 250 in seven years at the club? And who would bail the team out of trouble with last-gasp winners?
Things have turned out rather well, so far, and the widely anticipated post-Mbappé headache has not materialised.
Far from it.
PSG is the only team to have won its first three games in the French league and has scored an impressive 13 goals.
No longer being so reliant on Mbappé seems to have produced an early side effect, whereby the goals are being shared around and teamwork has improved in coach Luis Enrique's side.
Bradley Barcola has led the way with four goals, adding a finishing touch to his skilful dribbling down the left, while his France teammate Randal Kolo Muani and South Korea forward Lee Kang-in have netted twice each.
France right winger Ousmane Dembélé has chipped in with a goal and two assists for the defending champion, while new signing João Neves leads the league with three assists.
Kolo Muani and Dembélé continued their form with France, each scoring on Monday in a 2-0 win against Belgium in the Nations League.
Behind the forwards, Portugal's Vitinha and France's Warren Zaïre-Emery form a solid midfield pairing along with the 19-year-old Neves, an offseason signing from Portuguese side Benfica.
For now, it seems like Mbappé's absence is being felt more keenly off the field than on it.
On Wednesday, he rejected a mediation offer by the French soccer league’s legal commission in his dispute with PSG over wages and bonuses.
PSG officials and Mbappé’s representatives met in Paris after Mbappé asked the commission to get involved. Mbappé, who joined Madrid on a free transfer, says the club owes him 55 million euros ($60 million). PSG said it was pleased with how the commission hearing went.
While PSG's power struggle with its ex-striker continues, PSG's current crop of forwards look for more goals when the team hosts Brest on Saturday before facing Spanish side Girona on Wednesday when the Champions League starts.
Mbappé is expected to make his European debut for Madrid the previous night, at home to Stuttgart.
He never won Europe's most prestigious club prize with PSG, but most observers would argue he has a far better chance of doing so with record 15-time champion Madrid.
At some point this season, their paths may cross again on the field.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
PSG's Ousmane Dembele takes a shot during the French League 1 soccer match between Lille and Paris Saint-Germain, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
PSG's Randal Kolo Muani celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the French League 1 soccer match between Lille and Paris Saint-Germain, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
PSG's Ousmane Dembele runs with the ball watched by Lille's Thomas Meunier, left, during the French League 1 soccer match between Lille and Paris Saint-Germain, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France, Sunday, Sept. 1, 2024. (AP Photo/Matthieu Mirville)
France's Kylian Mbappe reacts during the UEFA Nations League soccer match between France and Belgium at the Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Monday, Sept. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)
GALLE, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka has rewarded Kamindu Mendis for his profitable tour of England by moving him up the batting order for the two-test series against New Zealand starting on Wednesday in Galle.
Mendis reaped a century and two half-centuries from his fourth, fifth and sixth career tests over the past month in England, where he was Sri Lanka's player of the series lost 2-1. In his brief test career, he has three hundreds and four fifties.
It was time to move him from No. 7 to No. 5 in the lineup, Sri Lanka coach Sanath Jayasuriya said on Tuesday.
“There was lot of discussion that Kamindu has to move up the order when we were in England. Too often he was batting with the tail and we felt that we need to make the best use of him,” Jayasuriya said.
Former captain Dinesh Chandimal, who occupied the No. 5 slot, has been moved to No. 3 and stripped of wicketkeeping duty. Kusal Mendis, no relation to Kamindu, will keep wickets and bat at No. 7.
Sri Lanka is expected to make two more changes from the side that beat England in the third test last week at the Oval. Seam bowlers Vishwa Fernando and Milan Ratnayake are expected to make way for spinners Prabath Jayasuriya and Ramesh Mendis.
“Our fast bowlers have done well, but it's horses for courses and we have to back spin in Galle,” Jayasuriya said.
Spin-friendly Galle favors the home team, but New Zealand has done well in these contests. Sri Lanka last won a series against the Black Caps in 2009. The last two series in Sri Lanka in 2012 and 2019 ended 1-1.
New Zealand has retired Sri Lanka great Rangana Herath on its staff to help its spinners, but the weather might be a bigger influence. The forecast across the test is not good.
The visitors will be used to that. Rain and a soggy outfield washed out all five days of New Zealand's scheduled one-off test against Afghanistan last week in Greater Noida, India. That was also to be New Zealand's warmup for this series.
“Disappointing, no doubt, but we cannot control the weather,” New Zealand captain Tim Southee said. “It would have been nice to have a test match against an ever improving side. However, we have had some good training and have spent time together both in India and in Galle.”
While New Zealand hasn't played a test since March, it won't be cold for long.
“Eight test matches between now and December is lot of cricket. We are excited," Southee said. "We are ranked three in the World Test Championship and it’s an opportunity for us to get some points and move forward.”
He has another personal milestone in sight, too. Southee needs 20 more wickets to become the second New Zealander to take 400 in tests after Richard Hadlee's 431.
“I have played for a long time and when you do that you come closer to these milestones,” said Southee, who has 100 caps. “We have a lot of tours ahead. Especially in this part of the world. Every game you are going out to do your role and take wickets for the side. It will be nice if I can achieve those milestones. But the focus is on winning games.”
Lineups:
Sri Lanka squad: Dhananjaya de Silva (captain), Dimuth Karunaratne, Pathum Nissanka, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal, Kamindu Mendis, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Oshada Fernando, Asitha Fernando, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Prabath Jayasuriya, Ramesh Mendis, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milan Rathnayake.
New Zealand squad: Tim Southee (captain), Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Will O’Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Kane Williamson and Will Young.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis during day three of the Third Rothesay Men's Test at The Kia Oval, London, Sunday Sept. 8, 2024. ( John Walton/PA via AP)
Sri Lanka's Kamindu Mendis bats during day two of the Third Rothesay Men's Test match between England and Sri Lanka in London, Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)
