Sports
Club Brugge vs PSG: Messi, Neymar, Mbappe attacking trio will still shine – Pochettino
Paris St-Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has warned that it would take some time for his formidable attacking trio to shine..
This was after his team, with the trio of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar, dubbed the “MNM”, disappointed in a 1-1 draw at Club Brugge on Wednesday.
It was in their 2021/2022 UEFA Champions League opening match.
Messi hit the woodwork on his first start with PSG but he failed to add to his 120 goals in the competition, while Neymar was hugely disappointing.
Kylian Mbappe limped off the pitch injured after setting up Ander Herrera for the opening goal.
It was the first time the three attacking players were together on the field and they struggled to find each other and create space against a compact Belgian side.
“It requires time for them to shine together,” said Pochettino.
“It requires work. I had made it clear that we’re not a team yet, we have to work for this.”
Club Brugge exploited the space with a strong collective performance as PSG’s midfield was almost non-existent in the absence of the injured Marco Verratti.
That prompted Pochettino to replace Leandro Paredes with Danilo and Georginio Wijnaldum with Julian Draxler, but this was to no effect.
“We needed more consistency and more fluidity. We made too many mistakes,” Pochettino explained.
“But, in spite of all this, I’m satisfied with the players. We have to keep calm and keep working.”
PSG are two points behind Manchester City who demolished RB Leipzig 6-3.
This is two weeks before the Ligue 1 side take on the English Premier League champions at the Parc des Princes.
-
Celebrity Gossip & Gist2 days ago
“The money wey dem pay me don expire” – Moment Burna Boy stops his performance at the Oando PLC end of the year party (Video)
-
Economy2 days ago
Goods worth millions of naira destroyed as fire guts spare parts market in Ibadan
-
Celebrity Gossip & Gist19 hours ago
Moment stage collapses on Odumodublvck during concert performance (Video)
-
Economy18 hours ago
President Tinubu cancels Lagos engagements in honor of food stampede victims