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Poch urges patience as 'MNM' misfires

Messi, Neymar and Mbappe fail to spark in first PSG start together

China Daily | Updated: 2021-09-17 00:00
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BRUGES, Belgium-Lionel Messi finally made his first start for Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday but the disjointed French giant had to settle for a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge in Belgium to begin its Champions League campaign.

Ander Herrera gave PSG an early lead at the Jan Breydel Stadium only for Hans Vanaken to equalize for the home side, which thoroughly deserved its point.

Messi-who had played just 24 minutes as a substitute prior to Wednesday's game-is still looking for his first goal for his new club although he hit the bar in the first half and tested Brugge goalkeeper Simon Mignolet after the break before picking up a yellow card.

However, it was not a convincing performance from the Parisians as coach Mauricio Pochettino lined up his star attacking trio of Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe-already dubbed 'MNM'-together for the first time.

"We need time for them to get to know each other," insisted Pochettino of his front three.

Mbappe came off hurt in the second half and PSG, despite building a team with the aim of winning the Champions League, has already complicated its chances just of making it out of a difficult Group A.

It next hosts Manchester City, the team that eliminated it in last season's semifinals and which began its campaign with a remarkable 6-3 victory against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.

"I am pleased with the effort. It wasn't a great evening for us but we need to stay calm and keep working," said Pochettino.

"The most important thing is to get the necessary time. We will try to do better."

Club Brugge was seen as the likely whipping boy when the draw was made but the Belgian champion is a well-run club with a proud history-European Cup runner-up in 1978-and some excellent players.

'More motivation'

For all the talk of the MNM strike force, for much of this game the most impressive attackers were in the blue and black stripes of the home side.

Captain Vanaken got its goal, while giant young striker Charles De Ketelaere was a constant threat and Dutchman Noa Lang regularly stole in behind Achraf Hakimi on the PSG right.

"We showed we have guts. Real guts," said Brugge coach Philippe Clement.

"My players played a historic game. I am extremely proud. We have proved that physically we are very strong. I think we just had more motivation."

Pochettino can point to the absences of Angel di Maria and Idrissa Gueye due to suspension as well as the injured Marco Verratti, but his team will need to do much better in its coming European outings.

Yet PSG's evening started so well, with Mbappe turning Clinton Mata inside out before sending in a low ball from the left for Herrera to sweep home in the 15th minute.

Forget the superstar strikers, that was the Spanish midfielder's fourth goal in PSG's last four games.

However, the home side was back level before the half-hour mark as Eduard Sobol got in behind Hakimi and cut the ball back for the unmarked Vanaken to finish.

Moments later Messi cracked a curling strike off the crossbar but Keylor Navas-preferred to Gianluigi Donnarumma in the away goal-was kept busy saving from a Vanaken freekick and tipping over a De Ketelaere shot.

Pochettino opted to make changes at halftime, replacing midfield duo Leandro Paredes and Gini Wijnaldum with Danilo Pereira and Julian Draxler.

Mbappe then had to hobble off with an ankle knock just six minutes into the second half.

PSG finished the stronger of the two sides but Mignolet punched away Messi's shot in the 70th minute and the Argentine blazed another attempt over, as the Belgian fans celebrated the draw as if it were a victory.

AFP

 

From left: Neymar, Keylor Navas and Lionel Messi trudge dejectedly off the pitch following Paris Saint-Germain's 1-1 draw with Club Brugge in Belgium on Wednesday. The match was Messi's first PSG start since joining from Barcelona this summer. REUTERS

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