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PSG coach Thomas Tuchel watches from the touchline during Group H of the Champions League soccer match. … [+]
Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel was unable to explain his side’s surprise 2-1 loss at home to Manchester United in the Champions League. Last season’s finalist made his debut in the 2020/21 group stage of Europe’s premier club competition with a performance that did not fit in with a club with so much staff and resources at its disposal. Even after conceding a penalty from Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes in the first half, PSG had little to no reaction.
“We played well before this, with five wins in a row,” Tuchel told a news conference. “It was a performance without intensity, without aggressiveness, without recovering the ball, without counter-pressure. It was a bit strange. I do not know why “.
He had already seen before the game in the French capital that his group was a little more shy than usual. “Before the game, the atmosphere in the locker room was too quiet,” observed Tuchel. “I had a strange feeling. Normally we listen to a lot of music, very loud, and today it was not like that. At halftime, it wasn’t the time to be angry. “
At half-time, Tuchel replaced Idrissa Gueye with Moise Kean due to injury, and PSG came out of the locker room with more focus and drive. The host equalized through an absurd own goal by Anthony Martial after a brilliant spell. “We brought in Moise (Kean), we took a lot of risks with the counterattacks,” Tuchel explained. “We improved and got a goal. We had chances but we had problems controlling their counterattacks because we lost our structure ”.
However, the tie did not lead to a Parisian renaissance. Instead, Manchester United kept their form and lurked dangerously on the fast break, ultimately leading to late winner Marcus Rashford. It was a deja vu for PSG and Tuchel. They were eliminated by Manchester United in 2019 in dramatic fashion in the same competition. Tuchel said: “The end was tough, losing 2-1, but now everyone knows that we have landed in a very difficult group and it is going to be even more difficult.”
Group H also includes RB Leipzig, who defeated Istanbul 2-0. The German club reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in August, but fulfilled their match at PSG by losing 3-0. The loss at home leaves Tuchel and his team on the defensive with a trip to the Turkish capital to come before the double header with Leipzig.
PSG remain a club obsessed with winning the Champions League and, after a tepid start to the national season, Tuchel is back on the bench. His relationship with the club’s sporting director, Leonardo, has been very strained. “I knew it was a tough group, I didn’t need the test,” Tuchel said. “I always want to protect my players because they are the same ones who have played well in recent months. We fight to find the right state. In the Champions League it is clear that we can improve and we must. We are not happy with the performance, but not now. now is the time to be too critical in public ”.
The German coach concluded: “The players have spoken. I have the impression that they are disappointed and do not know why it was so difficult today. The good news is that we can’t play another half like this. It’s not hard to play better than this. “
