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Tag: PSG

  • Messi has to serve Mbappe at PSG – Anelka

    Messi has to serve Mbappe at PSG – Anelka

    Former France international, Nicolas Anelka, has said Paris Saint-Germain’s attack should be led by Kylian Mbappe.

    According to Anelka, Messi “has to serve” Mbappe.

    Mbappe has been a talismanic figure at PSG since he joined from Monaco in 2017.

    The 22-year-old boasts of 136 goals from his first 180 games for the club.

    However, since the arrival of Messi this summer, Mbappe is having to share the spotlight with him and Neymar.

    It has been suggested that Mauricio Pochettino will need to build his team around Messi in order to deliver the Ligue 1 title and Champions League, but Anelka thinks Mbappe deserves to be the main man in the PSG squad.

    Anelka told Le Parisien: “Mbappe has to lead the attack because he’s No.1.

    “Messi was at Barcelona, but now he has to serve Mbappe. He’s been at the club for five years and Messi has to respect him.”

  • Hakimi ‘surprised’ by Lionel Messi’s behaviour at PSG

    Hakimi ‘surprised’ by Lionel Messi’s behaviour at PSG

    Lionel Messi is “simple and quiet” in the dressing room, according to Archaf Hakimi, who admits being “surprised” by the Paris Saint-Germain superstar’s behaviour.

    “Building a technical relationship with him is easy! I give him the ball, I run and he will put it where it belongs!” the PSG full-back, who also joined the club in the summer transfer window, told L’Equipe. “I was surprised by the way he behaved, he is simple, quiet.”

    Hakimi is grateful for the opportunity to play alongside Messi, and thinks he and the rest of his teammates can reach a new level while working with the six-time Ballon d’Or winner.

    “For Messi to leave Barca, like everyone else, I didn’t expect it, and when I heard you were coming here, what can I say? A dream for me!” he added.

    “I played with many great players and the only one I missed was Messi! I am proud to evolve with such a good footballer.

    “To progress, I will pay attention to how he trains, how he plays. It will grow the team and each of the players that make it up. We speak the same language, in addition, little by little we are getting to know each other.”

  • PSG extend lead in Ligue 1, beat Montpellier

    PSG extend lead in Ligue 1, beat Montpellier

    Paris Saint Germain put on a solid display on Saturday in the opening half to maintain their perfect record in Ligue 1.

    Idrissa Gana Gueye Gana’s fine goal inspired them to a 2-0 home win against Montpellier.

    Senegal midfielder Gueye fired home from just outside the box at a packed Parc des Princes and substitute Julian Draxler wrapped it up late to put the capital side on 24 points.

    PSG are now 10 points ahead of second-placed Olympique de Marseille who host RC Lens on Sunday and have two games in hand.

    Nice are third after they got back to winning ways by beating bottom side St Etienne 3-0 away three days after conceding their first defeat of the season.

    Champions Lille claimed their second consecutive win as Jonathan David’s double gave them a 2-1 victory at Racing Strasbourg.

    In the absence of Lionel Messi, who missed his second consecutive game to nurse a bruised knee, Angel Di Maria started up front for PSG, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Neymar.

    The spark came from the midfield, with Gueye unleashing a fierce strike that went into the top corner to put the hosts ahead in the 14th minute.

    Under sustained pressure, Montpellier reacted with a fine free kick by Teji Savanier which was parried by Keylor Navas, again favoured over Gianluigi Donnarumma to start in goal.

    Neymar was lively again but was denied twice by Jonas Omlin, who could do nothing against Ander Herrera’s shot three minutes before the break but was saved by his crossbar.

    The second half was a less exciting affair with both teams struggling to find the target as Neymar continued to waste chances and Mbappe also lacked sharpness in the area.

    Di Maria was replaced with Draxler in the 88th minute and it took the German only one minute to find the back of the net after being set up by Neymar.

    PSG host Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday.

  • Ligue 1: Messi ruled out of PSG game against Montpellier

    Ligue 1: Messi ruled out of PSG game against Montpellier

    Lionel Messi has been ruled out of Paris St Germain’s match against Montpellier FC on Saturday due to a bone bruising injury, the Ligue 1 club said on Friday.

    Messi suffered a knock on his left knee, and an MRI scan earlier confirmed signs of a bone contusion. He missed PSG’s 2-1 victory at Metz on Wednesday.

    He will be assessed again on Sunday ahead of next week’s Champions League home game against Manchester City FC.

    PSG said midfielder Marco Verratti will return to training on Sunday while defender Sergio Ramos, who has yet to make his club debut, continues to train individually as he recovers from a calf injury.

    PSG are top of the Ligue 1 standings with a perfect win record from seven games.

  • Ligue 1: Pochettino says ‘no issues’ with Messi after substitution

    Ligue 1: Pochettino says ‘no issues’ with Messi after substitution

    Mauricio Pochettino said there are “no issues” with Lionel Messi after the Paris Saint-Germain superstar’s reaction to being substituted during Sunday’s 2-1 win over Ligue 1 rivals, Lyon.

    Messi had a puzzled look on his face as he walked past PSG head coach Pochettino, after been replaced by full-back Achraf Hakimi in the 76th minute of the game.

    Pochettino and Messi briefly exchanged words before the latter, who was making his home debut at the Parc des Princes following his blockbuster arrival from Barcelona.

    Messi was involved in six shots (four attempts, two chances created) against Lyon and only Kylian Mbappe against Clermont (seven) has managed better in a league game so far this season for PSG.

    A six-time Ballon d’Or winner, Messi also had 65 touches and made 48 passes with an accuracy of 83.3 per cent.

    Pochettino told a media conference: “I think everyone knows that we have many great players, with a 35-man squad.

    “We have to make choices, within the matchday squad and then during the game, keeping in mind what’s best for the team and every player.

    “Sometimes the decisions are positive, or not, but that’s what managers are there to do on the sidelines, to make decisions. It can please people or not.

    “I asked him how he was and he said he was fine, no issues.”

    PSG secured victory over Lyon following a dramatic injury-time header from substitute Mauro Icardi from Mbappe’s cross after Neymar’s penalty had earlier cancelled out Lucas Paqueta’s opening goal.

    Pochettino’s PSG are now five points clear of Marseille at the top of Ligue 1 after six wins from six games.

    PSG have achieved a flawless start from their first six games for the third time after 2017-18 and 2018-19 – on both those occasions they went on to be crowned champions.

    “It’s very positive for us,” Pochettino said of their start to the Ligue 1 campaign.

    “After the difficult game (against Club Brugge in the Champions League), this was important for us. Lyon are a very good team that play well.

    “We conceded that goal in the second half. The team needed to show some character.

    “We’re in a period where we’re trying a lot of things. We have to work on it in training, but it’s difficult because we have a game every three days, and the priority is that the players recover.

    “We can only do video sessions. It’s not an excuse, we need to improve.”

  • Messi yet to score first goal as PSG Beat Lyon

    Messi yet to score first goal as PSG Beat Lyon

    Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) needed an extra-time goal to defeat Lyon 2-1 in a French Ligue 1 clash on Sunday, but Argentine superstar, Lionel Messi was not on the scoring sheet as the wait for his first goal in France continued.

    Messi outshone his team-mates in PSG’s all-star attack for much of the game at the Parc des Princes but he had been taken off by the time substitute Icardi headed in a cross from the left to secure a win that looked unlikely for long spells.

    The excellent Lucas Paqueta gave Lyon the lead in the 54th minute, before Neymar won and then converted from the spot midway through the second half of an absorbing contest at the Parc des Princes.

    The fact it was a contest might come as a surprise to many who expect PSG to run away with the Ligue 1 title this season and perhaps even go all the way in the Champions League.

    However, they were disappointing in drawing 1-1 with Club Brugge in Belgium in midweek in Messi’s first start for the club and they were given a run for their money by Peter Bosz’s Lyon in a meeting of the two most successful French sides this century.

    Yet Icardi –- in many ways the forgotten man of the PSG attack –- allowed his side to make it six wins from six in Ligue 1 this season and they are now five points clear at the top from Marseille.

    That gap will surely widen as the weeks go by. Lyon, for all their good intentions here, are already 10 points behind the leaders in ninth place.

  • UCL: Club Brugge silent Messi as PSG play draw

    UCL: Club Brugge silent Messi as PSG play draw

    Lionel Messi’s main task at Paris St-Germain will be to help deliver an elusive Champions League, but for all the fanfare surrounding the Argentina star’s first start it proved a frustrating evening as the club began their European campaign with a draw at Club Brugge.

    Messi struck the crossbar but struggled to make a serious impact on his full debut and it was instead Ander Herrera who netted the opener after great work down the left from Kylian Mbappe.

    Hans Vanaken scored a deserved equaliser before the break to get the 29,000-seater Jan Breydel Stadium rocking.

    Messi was carded for a second-half foul and Mbappe replaced after 51 minutes as PSG found it difficult to break down the energetic hosts, who may feel they could have won the game themselves.

    PSG struggled to deal with the home side’s aggressive pressing throughout and needed goalkeeper Keylor Navas to tip Charles de Ketelaere’s well-struck effort over the crossbar to keep them level.

    Messi began to find more space as the Belgian side tired late on but the 34-year-old was unable to unpick the Bruges defence, leaving boss Mauricio Pochettino to ponder how to get the best out his all-star front three.

  • PSG should never have signed Ramos – Rothen

    PSG should never have signed Ramos – Rothen

    Former PSG star Jerome Rothen says Sergio Ramos should never have been signed by the club.

    Due to injury, former Real Madrid captain Ramos is unlikely to play his first game with the French club until, at the earliest, September 22 against Metz.

    Former PSG player and current RMC Sport commentator Jerome Rothen is the latest person to fire criticism in the direction of the former Real Madrid centre-back.

    “Sustaining a calf muscle injury towards the end of your career is really bad news because it’s an injury that you seldom make a full recovery from,” Rothen said.

    “Once the player increases his rhythm, whether during a game or in training with PSG, he might not be able to continue.

    “And when a player reaches a certain age, he needs to play a number of games to get back into form.

    “Will he be able to get back to top level if he has constant pains in his calf? I have serious doubts about that.”

    Rothen also noted the way in which Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe have a bigger impact in the dressing room, in his opinion.

    “When he arrived, everyone said that Sergio Ramos was going to change the mentality inside the dressing room,” he continued.

    “But today, Marquinhos and Kimpembe are way above Ramos in terms of influence.

    “His motivational skills aren’t enough right now at PSG. He needs to be bringing more to the team on the pitch.

    “If he’s unable to do that, there is no point in having him. That’s why I get the feeling that signing Ramos was a bad idea for PSG.”

  • Ligue 1: PSG hits four past Clermont

    Ligue 1: PSG hits four past Clermont

    Paris St-Germain made it five wins out of five in Ligue 1 this season as Ander Herrera’s double helped them to an emphatic home win over Clermont.

    PSG were without both Lionel Messi and Neymar following their late return from international duty but were still way too good for their opponents.

    Herrera struck twice in the first half to put the home side in control.

    Kylian Mbappe slotted in a coolly taken third before Idrissa Gueye rounded off the rout with a header.

    PSG, who travel to Club Bruges for their Champions League opener on Wednesday, lead the table with 15 points.

    Clermont had begun this season – their first in the French top flight – impressively, but their first defeat leaves them third on eight points.

    The visitors began reasonably well, but the writing was on the wall when Herrera followed up his headed opener with a decisive finish from close range.

    Mbappe made sure of the win and Gueye added the icing to the cake for a star-studded PSG side that included a debut for Italian Euro 2020-winning goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.

  • I’ve not spoken to Messi since Barca exit – Laporta

    I’ve not spoken to Messi since Barca exit – Laporta

    Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists there’s no tension with Lionel Messi.

    It’s been suggested Messi is furious with Laporta for refusing to renew his contract ahead of his shock departure to PSG.

    But Laporta told Esport3: “We were both affected the day he left and it showed.

    “I saw his debut with PSG and I didn’t like it, it was a weird, weird situation. It’s a team with which we have clashes. I haven’t spoken to him since he left. The story must continue.

    “The story must continue as he will always be a Barcelona fan. What I must say is that there was no overflow during the negotiations. Everything is normal in this context. There was no friction neither with his father nor with him.”