Pochettino confirms PSG could unleash Messi, Neymar and Mbappe on Club Brugge
How
the
superstar
trio
perform
as
a
unit
could
define
PSG’s
season
and
Pochettino’s
reign
with
the
French
giants,
after
Messi’s
shock
switch
from
Barcelona.
Some
observers
harbour
concerns
that
fielding
three
such
forwards
together
could
leave
PSG
exposed
in
other
areas.
Yet
if
they
click,
then
PSG
could
be
a
rampant
force
in
the
Champions
League,
the
tournament
they
dearly
want
to
win.
Asked
if
he
would
select
all
three
on
Wednesday
in
PSG’s
European
opener,
Pochettino
said:
“Maybe,
yes.
It
is
possible.”
There
is
little
doubt
PSG
have
three
of
the
world’s
best
forwards,
but
developing
a
winning
team
around
them
is
the
challenge
facing
their
Argentine
head
coach.
Speaking
in
the
pre-game
news
conference,
Pochettino
was
asked
whether
he
was
excited
about
the
prospect
of
the
three
front
players
teaming
up.
“I
will
have
to
get
on
board
all
the
excitement
because
I
know
how
excited
everyone
is,”
he
said.
“I
would
be
crazy
to
think
otherwise.”
From
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to
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@ChampionsLeague
pic.twitter.com/ZYMF5QGJkK—
Paris
Saint-Germain
(@PSG_English)
September
14,
2021
Across
the
last
four
Champions
League
campaigns,
only
six
players
have
been
directly
involved
in
30-plus
goals
in
the
competition,
and
Pochettino
can
call
on
three
of
those
in
Mbappe
(37
involvements),
Messi
(36)
and
Neymar
(31).
If
Messi
plays
a
part,
he
will
be
making
his
150th
Champions
League
appearance
after
previously
turning
out
149
times
for
Barcelona,
scoring
120
goals
and
providing
35
assists
so
far.
However
PSG
eventually
line
up,
their
Belgian
hosts
may
be
privately
fearing
the
worst.
That
is
because
the
last
time
Club
Brugge
hosted
the
Parisians,
they
were
beaten
5-0
in
the
2019-20
Champions
League
–
this
remains
Brugge’s
heaviest
home
defeat
in
European
competition.
Mauro
Icardi
scored
twice,
while
Mbappe
came
on
as
a
substitute
and
grabbed
a
hat-trick.
Pochettino
knows
many
expect
his
team
to
be
major
challengers
for
Champions
League
glory
this
season,
but
he
believes
holders
Chelsea
will
take
some
stopping.
He
also
rates
the
London
outfit,
coached
by
former
PSG
boss
Thomas
Tuchel,
as
a
model
that
PSG
should
look
to
follow.
“Chelsea
are
the
holders
and
they
are
the
team
to
beat,
if
there
is
one,”
Pochettino
said.
“They
have
also
strengthened
by
signing
good
players
and
have
spent
a
lot
more
money
than
Paris
Saint-Germain.
“We
are
not
a
team
yet.
We
are
a
club
that
has
recruited
many
players
this
summer.
There
are
some
very
big
names,
but
we
have
to
turn
into
a
team
in
the
way
that
Chelsea
did
last
season.
“Chelsea
are
the
team
to
beat
because
they
achieved
their
targets.
We
are
a
group
of
players
that
need
to
achieve
the
target
of
becoming
a
solid
team
in
order
to
get
the
results
that
we
want.
“There
are
no
timeframes.
At
Paris
Saint-Germain,
you
will
be
judged
on
the
results
that
you
achieve.
There
is
always
pressure
at
every
club
and
in
this
case
at
PSG
the
club
has
been
targeting
a
dream
for
many
years
of
winning
the
Champions
League,
and
that
is
something
that
we
cannot
deny.”
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