Three talking points from PSG’s 2-1 Champions League defeat at RB Leipzig

Paris Saint-Germain suffered a disappointing 2-1 defeat to RB Leipzig in matchday three of the Champions League on Wednesday night.

Les Parisiens made the perfect start in the sixth minute with Angel di Maria scoring with an elegant finish from an angle after Moise Kean’s through ball.

Leipzig nearly equalised instantly through Amadou Haidara, but goalkeeper Keylor Navas was alert to the situation and made a splendid block to deny the Malian.

In the 16th minute, Di Maria had the opportunity to put Les Parisiens two goals clear from the penalty spot, but he was denied by Peter Gulacsi, who dived in the right direction.

There were no clear-cut chances thereafter until the 41st minute when Angelino laid a pass for Nkunku, who slammed home the leveller with a low shot into the bottom left corner.

Prior the hour mark, Leipzig took the lead through Emile Forsberg. The Swede scored from the penalty spot after Presnel Kimpembe was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box through VAR.

The German outfit thereafter controlled the proceedings as Les Parisiens were not afforded any shots on target. It was a day to forget for the French champions as they finished the game with just nine men.

Idrissa Gueye was sent off for a second yellow card offence in the 69th minute. Right before the final whistle, Kimpembe halted a counter-attack with a cynical tackle and he was given his marching orders.

Three Talking Points from PSG’s defeat at Leipzig:

Di Maria’s mixed performance: Di Maria was the star of the show when the teams met in the Champions League semi-final last season, where he grabbed one goal and two assists. He started Wednesday’s game in fine fashion with an early goal in the sixth minute, but squandered the chance to score from the penalty spot, which could have put Les Parisiens in the driving seat. Di Maria made a few quality runs during the second half of the contest, but Leipzig’s defence stood firm and denied him the opportunity to test the goalkeeper.

Les Parisiens miss injured front trio: Les Parisiens were without the trio of Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Mauro Icardi due to injuries. In their absence of Kean and Di Maria combined well upfront during the opening half, but the latter was made to rue for the missed scoring opportunity from the penalty spot. Kean, on the other hand, had a relatively good game as he laid the assist for Di Maria’s opener, but lacked the finishing touch. The hosts were there for the taking in the early part of the game and things could have been different with the trio on the pitch.

Thomas Tuchel’s future: Tuchel’s future has often been a topic of speculation when Les Parisiens lose games. The club have made a woeful start to their Champions League campaign and are currently three points behind both Manchester United and Leipzig in Group H. They have already suffered two defeats and that constitutes their worst group stage performance since the 2004/05 season, where they lost three times. After narrowly losing the Champions League final to Bayern last term, the club are now facing the prospect of missing out on the last 16 altogether. Tuchel could be sacked, if Les Parisiens are unable to make a turnaround in the remaining three games.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com