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Tuchel faces up to PSG limits after Di Maria rescues draw against
Napoli PARIS, Oct 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas
Tuchel accepted that his side have to improve in Europe after requiring an
injury-time Angel Di Maria goal to draw 2-2 with Napoli in the Champions
League on Wednesday.
PSG looked beaten until Di Maria curled home in the third minute of time
added on, salvaging a point from a game in which they had been second-best
for long spells.
Prior to that it looked as though goals from Lorenzo Insigne and Dries
Mertens, either side of a Mario Rui own goal, would give Carlo Ancelotti’s
Napoli the victory in the French capital.
Instead, the biggest beneficiaries of this result are surely Liverpool,
who move to the top of Group C after easing to a 4-0 win over Red Star
Belgrade in the night’s other game.
PSG are third, a point behind Napoli with a trip to Italy up next before
Liverpool visit Paris next month. That means there is a real risk that a club
with ambitions of winning the Champions League could be sent packing in the
group stage.
“We can improve, it’s not possible to make errors because the opposition
are very strong,” said Tuchel, who has been showered with praise with his
side winning all 10 of their games in Ligue 1, a record-breaking start to a
French season.
“I have lots of respect for the teams in this group. I knew before it
would be really complicated, and in my opinion we are not the favourites.
This group is really difficult and we can’t be surprised.”
Doubts had already been raised about PSG’s true capabilities at this level
when they performed poorly in losing 3-2 to Liverpool at Anfield, and once
again they were exposed here, with Ancelotti revelling in his latest return
to Paris.
It was an accomplished away performance from Napoli, but PSG’s all-star
attack of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani toiled for much of the
evening, which was a world away from the strolls they so often enjoy
domestically.
“It is always complicated against an Italian team because of the culture
they have,” said Tuchel.
“We are not an Italian side, we are not Atletico Madrid, we are PSG and we
have another style.
“They have been together for years, and we have been together for just 11
weeks, but we must improve, that is clear.”
– Napoli ‘deserved victory’ –
Ancelotti coached PSG to the Ligue 1 title in 2013 before leaving for
Madrid, and he first returned to the Parc des Princes a year ago in charge of
Bayern Munich only to be sacked by the German giants after a chastening 3-0
defeat.
This time his Napoli team were excellent for long spells, fresh from
beating Liverpool in their last European outing.
“We played well, and I think we would have deserved the victory for our
efforts, but that is what playing PSG is all about, they have players of such
quality,” said Ancelotti, who coached Di Maria at Real Madrid.
Mertens had hit the bar for Napoli before they went ahead just before the
half-hour mark. Jose Callejon’s superb pass found Insigne, who finished
beautifully over the advancing Alphonse Areola.
Tuchel knew action was needed and he switched to a back three for the
second half, taking off struggling left-back Juan Bernat and replacing him
with another centre-back in Thilo Kehrer.
Paris duly stepped up the pressure and were rewarded with the equaliser in
the 61st minute, although there was a touch of good fortune about the goal.
Mbappe exchanged passes with Neymar before releasing Thomas Meunier, whose
low ball in from the right was turned into his own net by Mario Rui.
Napoli retook the lead when Mertens stabbed home from close range in the
77th minute after Marquinhos had blocked a Fabian Ruiz shot, and that
appeared to be that.
But just as PSG looked defeated, substitute Julian Draxler found Di Maria
in the 93rd minute and he curled a shot high into the top-left corner from 20
yards.
“We have another opportunity at home and I hope to see the same game,”
said Ancelotti.
BSS/AFP/BZC/1116HRS