Ranking PSG's 5 best players against Maccabi Haifa | UEFA Champions League 2022-23

French champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) traveled to Israel for their Champions League gameweek two clash against Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday night (September 14).

The Israeli champions punched above their weight, but PSG’s quality ultimately shone through, with them securing a 3-1 win on the night. Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Neymar were on the scoresheet for the visitors, while Tjaronn Chery scored the hosts’ only goal.

The Parisians, who beat Juventus 2-1 in their Champions League opener, created their first chance of the night just after two minutes of play. Mbappe found himself one-on-one with Maccabi Haifa goalkeeper Josh Cohen. Under pressure from the onrushing Cohen, the Frenchman failed to keep his effort on target. Nine minutes later, he got another opportunity to put his side ahead, but he was outmuscled by Sean Goldberg, allowing Cohen to collect.

Against the run of play, the home side found themselves on the score sheet in the 24th minute. Winning the ball from Marco Verratti in midfield, Dolev Haziza delivered an inch-perfect cross for Chery, whose thunderous volley got the better of Gianluigi Donnarumma. Five minutes later, Neymar went down after colliding with Cohen inside the box, but the referee refused to award a spot kick to the visitors.

PSG finally got themselves back level in the 37th minute, with Messi finishing confidently from close range. The Parisians had an excellent opportunity to pull ahead in first-half injury time, but Marquinhos' header from a Verratti corner ended up wide of the target.

Early in the second half, Frantzdy Pierrot and Mohammed Abu Fani had chances to restore Maccabi Haifa’s advantage, but both failed to keep their efforts on target. Having knocked on the door for a while, PSG got their go-ahead goal in the 69th minute, with Mbappe applying a gorgeous finish from a tight angle. Neymar doubled his side’s lead in the 88th minute, coolly slotting home past the onrushing Cohen.

It was far from a straightforward win for the visitors, who were often undone by the hosts’ pace and power. However, their stars ultimately came to their rescue, allowing them to bag a well-deserved victory. Here are five players who stood out in PSG’s 3-1 win over Maccabi Haifa on Wednesday:

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#5 Vitinha

Maccabi Haifa FC v Paris Saint-Germain: Group H - UEFA Champions League

PSG coach Christophe Galtier picked Vitinha to start ahead of Fabian Ruiz on Wednesday night. Producing another surefooted performance, the Portuguese showed why the Frenchman was correct to do so.

He complimented Verratti brilliantly, making sure the Parisians were not overwhelmed in the middle. He also carried the ball well, held his ground, and never hesitated to fulfill his defensive responsibilities.

At the Sammy Ofer Stadium, Vitinha accurately delivered one cross and two long balls each, completed two dribbles, and won four ground duels. He also blocked a shot and made an interception.

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#4 Neymar

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Arguably PSG’s standout player of the season, Neymar opened his Champions League goalscoring account with a confident finish against Maccabi Haifa. In the 88th minute, the Brazilian latched on to Verratti’s delivery, steadied himself, and fired a comfortable shot past the onrushing keeper. His goal ensured that the Parisians would not have to endure a nervy end to the game.

On Champions League Group H matchday two, Neymar also completed 68 passes (94.4% accuracy), made three key passes, and accurately delivered one cross and one long ball each.

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#3 Marco Verratti

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As always, Marco Verratti was at the heart of almost every encouraging passage of play for PSG. He moved the ball around with grace, keeping the game ticking, and created openings for players ahead of him. Verratti’s finest moment of the match came just before the full-time whistle, when he assisted Neymar with a brilliant ball over the top.

On Wednesday night, the Italy international completed 75 passes (94.9% accuracy), played two key passes, accurately delivered two long balls, and completed two dribbles. Additionally, he blocked a shot, made an interception, and attempted a tackle.

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#2 Kylian Mbappe

Maccabi Haifa FC v Paris Saint-Germain: Group H - UEFA Champions League

PSG’s golden boy Kylian Mbappe was not at his best against the Israeli champions, squandering two very presentable opportunities in the first half. The Frenchman eventually made amends for his misses, playing an essential role in Messi’s opener and scoring PSG’s go-ahead goal in the second half.

His deflected (off Dylan Batubinsika) low cross led to the Argentine’s equalizer, while his finish from a difficult in the 69th minute was more than admirable.

Against Maccabi Haifa, Mbappe also completed six dribbles, won nine of 12 ground duels, and made a clearance.

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#1 Lionel Messi

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PSG superstar Lionel Messi was the undisputed star of the show on Wednesday night. The Argentine scored a comfortable tap-in in the 37th minute to pull the visitors level. In the 69th minute, he carried the ball forward and split Haifa’s defense open with an inch-perfect pass. Mbappe got on the end of it and applied a sumptuous finish.

In addition to the two crucial goal contributions, Messi made two key passes, won six ground duels, completed two dribbles, and drew three fouls.