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The jeers and whistles that reverberated across the Parc des Princes were deafening. The PSG fans were clearly unhappy with their team’s exit from the UEFA Champions League against Real Madrid.
To make their displeasure known, the fans singled out Lionel Messi and Neymar. They booed the duo before the start of the team’s Ligue 1 game against Bordeaux on Sunday.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men went on to beat their opponents 3-0, thanks to goals from Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Leandro Paredes. However, for a team that has invested so much into conquering Europe, the result does very little to make up for their disappointing capitulation against Madrid in midweek.
With Kylian Mbappe scoring for the second time in the tie, PSG led 2-0 on aggregate with 29 minutes to go at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, in an epic meltdown, they allowed Karim Benzema to score a stunning 17-minute hat-trick to bow out of the competition.
Neymar and Lionel Messi have been underwhelming
PSG have been very poor in recent weeks, winning just two of their last five games across competitions. Nevertheless, they’re still in pole position to win Ligue 1, as they sit 15 points clear at the top of the table with only ten games to go.
Winning the league has become very easy for the Parisians due to their vast superiority to other teams in the division. However, they’ve never really risen to the occasion in Europe.
When PSG signed Messi to complement Neymar and Mbappe in attack, it was meant to spur them to win the Champions League. However, when things got tough against Real Madrid, only Mbappe’s presence was felt.
Messi and Neymar were atrocious over the two legs. So fans have every right to register their unhappiness at the duo’s disappointing performances, even through boos and jeers. Messi notably missed a penalty in the first leg in Paris.
PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino needs to make big decisions
Mauricio Pochettino’s stock has fallen drastically since PSG’s Round of 16 exit from the Champions League. That’s because he hasn’t been brave enough in his decision making.
Against Real Madrid, Neymar contributed nothing and wasn’t even helping his teammates by tracking back to defend, but he lasted the full 90 minutes. He should have taken off the Brazilian early in the second half, but Pochettino’s proclivity for keeping everyone happy eventually cost the team.
“For me it's unfair. We all deserve this anger from the fans, not just Neymar and Messi; they are two world-class players," the PSG boss said after Sunday’s win against Bordeaux, as quoted by Manchester Evening News.
Pochettino continued:
"They must therefore be respected. When we lose or win, it's always as a team. My feeling of the match? Very difficult. We can understand the frustration, the disappointment of our supporters. We feel the same, and we are all together in this immense frustration of not going further in the Champions League. The whistles? It was for everyone. We are a team; we are all together. It's a really sad situation.”
Pochettino may yet end up at Manchester United. However, if he can’t make the big decisions, his teams will continue to suffer against top-level opposition.
