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Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) cannot accommodate all three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar in the same line-up, according to journalist Julien Laurens.
PSG hosted Bayern in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League Round of 16 tie at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday, February 14. Despite having Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar at their disposal, they succumbed to a 1-0 loss.
Les Parisiens now face the risk of crashing out of the Champions League, with the second leg scheduled to take place in Munich next month. It is worth noting that they have also lost each of their three matches across three different competitions.
Messi, Mbappe, and Neymar have had fitness issues in recent weeks, adding to PSG's woes. However, Christophe Galtier could not lead the side to victory on Tuesday despite having all three of them at his disposal.
Laurens has now claimed that it is impossible for the Parisians to get the most out of their decorated front three when they are all playing together. The journalist explained that Galtier would only have to opt to play two of them together at some point. He said on the French radio station RMC:
"It's impossible for all three of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappe to play together and be good altogether. It is not possible! At some point you have to choose. Kylian alone, ok, two of the three, maybe, but the three together is impossible."
While Laurens feels that way, it remains to be seen if Galtier will come to a similar conclusion in the coming weeks.
Messi and Neymar started for PSG against Bayern; Mbappe came off the bench
There were concerns about the Argentinian and the Frenchman's availability ahead of the match against Bayern. However, both of them returned to training in time for the game, handing Galtier a massive boost.
The former AS Monaco forward, though, had to settle for a place on the bench, having just returned from an injury. The Parisian boss opted to start the South American superstars up front instead.
However, the former Barcelona teammates struggled to cause problems for the Bayern defense. It was Mbappe who changed the game for PSG after coming on as a substitute in the second half.
The 24-year-old even found the back of the net for Les Parisiens in the 82nd minute. The goal, though, was disallowed by VAR after provider Nuno Mendes was found to be marginally offside.
Galtier and Co. will now be hopeful of returning to winning ways when they face Lille in Ligue 1 this weekend. They will face Bayern in the return leg on March 8.
