Kylian Mbappe's Goal Leads PSG to Win vs. Marseille as Neymar Struggles

Paris Saint-Germain edged a 2-0 victory in Le Classique on Sunday, with Kylian Mbappe again the hero despite being named on the substitutes' bench. 

Mbappe was dropped by manager Thomas Tuchel despite Edinson Cavani's injury, but the France striker came on after an hour at the Stade Velodrome and broke the deadlock within minutes of his introduction.

Brazilian superstar Neymar was far from his best, but he assisted Julian Draxler's goal in second-half stoppage time to seal the win.

Ligue 1's leaders again stand eight points clear of second-placed Lille in the French top flight, but Neymar's disappointing performance in such a big fixture is a worrying sign as PSG head closer to a busy winter schedule.

Neymar Goes Missing Again as Decisive Napoli Clash Looms

Marseille may sit fifth in Ligue 1 and now 14 points off PSG, but Le Classique still holds great weight as one of France's biggest matches and is the kind of occasion Neymar should relish. 

His side needed that to be the case in Sunday's trip to Marseille, with Cavani out of action and Mbappe sidelined because of a disciplinary issue. And although he helped set up Draxler, it didn't alter what was on the whole a disappointing outing.

It can no longer be afforded as PSG prepare for a clutch series of fixtures, however, not least of which is their UEFA Champions League meeting against Napoli, who are second in Group C and a point above them.

PSG also host Lille in a clash between Ligue 1's top two on Friday evening, four days before their crucial trip to Naples.

Not only was the Selecao star missing accuracy on the ball, but beIN Sports showed how he was embarrassed off it:

Neymar had 50 touches of the ball at half-time on Sunday, per WhoScored.com, the most of any attacking player and only four fewer than PSG centre-back Marquinhos, who had taken the most touches overall after 45 minutes.

And yet he accomplished little with those chances, recording two successful dribbles from an attempted 10 and getting dispossessed twice (only Angel Di Maria managed a higher tally).

The teams went in goalless at the break, but French football writer Jeremy Smith highlighted Neymar wasn't the only big name off the boil:

It's premature to call for the player to be dropped—he's scored 11 goals in 13 appearances across all competitions this season—but Friday's meeting with Lille is where he must get back to his best.

Although he grabbed the assist for Draxler's goal, too, football writer Rich Allen noted it was a shot dragged wide that turned fortunate:

It was a bright end to an otherwise gloomy performance, but Napoli will be less forgiving in just over a week's time.

Mbappe Has Become Most Important Player at the Parc des Princes

A 30-minute cameo was all Mbappe needed to do his damage at Marseille, and there was no finer way to underline his place as PSG's most important player.

French football writer Mohammed Ali referred to a RMC Sport report explaining why the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner had been dropped in the first place:

But all was likely forgotten minutes after his introduction at the Stade Velodrome. Neymar had toiled for an hour against Marseille, dropping deep to collect the ball and to put the team on his back.

Mbappe didn't deliberate nearly as much. The rightly timed run three minutes after coming on, combined with his unbeatable pace and a deadeye for goal, saw him give his side the lead.

Despite his benching, the 19-year-old looked in high spirits prior to kick-off in Marseille:

If there's any way to put yourself back in the manager's good books, Mbappe showed how it's done and now sits as Europe's top scorer, per OptaJean:

This was a stage made for Neymar to gleam. Granted, it may have hurt his case that Cavani and Mbappe weren't present from the first minute, and perhaps he needs those players around him to excel. But then one has to ask why Mbappe doesn't require the same comforting, particularly as he's only played professionally for three years.

It spoke volumes that even with Neymar on the pitch, a benched Mbappe was gaining more attention as a PSG threat:

Whether it's in the XI or as a substitute, Mbappe doesn't lose his class and has now scored in all but two matches this season (10 in 12 games)—Neymar has failed to hit the back of the net in twice as many outings.