Lionel Messi and Neymar have been included in Paris St Germain’s Champions League squad for their trip to Club Brugge on Wednesday (September 15) after the pair missed the weekend`s Ligue 1 action following their return from international duty. Argentine Messi and Brazil’s Neymar played in World Cup qualifiers last Thursday and were back in Paris late on Friday. They missed PSG’s 4-0 win over Clermont the following day.
Angel Di Maria is not part of the 22-man squad after the Argentine winger was handed a three-game suspension by UEFA for stamping on Fernandinho in last season`s Champions League semi-final against Manchester City. Centre back Sergio Ramos’s debut has again been delayed as the Spaniard has not fully recovered from a thigh injury, while midfielder Marco Verratti was also left out of the squad with a knee injury he sustained on duty with Italy.
Paris St Germain have been labelled as the side to beat in the Champions League since Lionel Messi joined during the close season but coach Mauricio Pochettino warned that he had not yet turned his stellar cast of players into a team. PSG signed Messi as a free agent from Barcelona to assemble a formidable attacking trio with France striker Kylian Mbappe and Brazil forward Neymar, but they have yet to show what they are capable of together.
“We’re not a team yet. We are a club that has recruited many players this summer. There are some big names but we have to turn into a team,” Pochettino told a news conference on Tuesday on the eve of their opening Group A game at Club Brugge.
“We are a group of players who need to achieve results. There`s a feeling that we’re (PSG and Chelsea) the two teams to beat but Chelsea are the holders so they’re the team to beat especially after strengthening their squad.”
Captain Marquinhos said that there was ‘no added pressure’ to win the Champions League since Messi had signed his two-year contract in a summer when former Real Madrid skipper Sergio Ramos and Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum also arrived.
“We live with the pressure every season, especially when you play for PSG. This is part and parcel of it,” the Brazilian said. “With the squad we have, people are going to talk about that even more. We are delighted to have such players with us but there`s no extra pressure, there`s only positives to take.”
PSG reached the Champions League semi-finals last season and were runners up in 2020 but have never won Europe’s elite club competition. Pochettino said he had not decided yet whether Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, who has so far only played half an hour with PSG, would all play at the Jan Breydel stadium, explaining he would make his decision after Tuesday’s training session.
Here are all the details about Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain UEFA Champions League match…
When is UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain going to be played?
The UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain will be played on Thursday (September 16) from 12:30 AM (IST) onwards.
Where is UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain going to be played?
The UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain will be played at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium.
Where can I watch UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain?
The UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain will be telecast live on Sony Ten 2 HD and Sony Six.
How to can I live stream UEFA Champions League UEFA Champion League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain in India?
The UEFA Champions League match between Club Brugge vs Paris Saint-Germain will be live streamed on Sony LIV app and website. Reliance Jio subscribers can also enjoy the streaming of the matches on Jio TV.
