Paris Saint-Germain‘s Champions League group-stage opener this season didn’t go to plan. With their spectacular MNM trident of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe starting together for the first time, expectations were high.
They could only manage a 1-1 draw with Club Brugge though, leaving a lot to be desired.
None of the three forwards scored either, with Ander Herrera being the unlikely source of their only goal. Since, the MNM have come in for criticism.
“Neymar and Messi didn’t help,” wrote L’Equipe after the game, as they evaluated the performance of the French side’s players. But they weren’t alone. Omar da Fonseca, a beIN Sports commentator, was even more scathing.
“[Georginio] Wijnaldum and [Leandro] Paredes were non-existent,” Da Fonseca said. “If they want to play with these three forwards up front, PSG have to have midfielders who can handle the ball, with a certain idea of football.
“You can’t expect them to be Xavi [Hernandez] or [Andres] Iniesta, but they need something else.
“Messi needs the ball and to be able to dominate the game. He’s not going to help to create space from an athletic point of view.
“Despite having a dream trio with Neymar and Mbappe, PSG‘s attacking output left a lot to be desired. This will hold them back at some point. They’ll have to resolve it. When they lose the ball, Neymar, Messi and Mbappe have to take a taxi back.”
