Football: Zinedine Zidane laments Real's 'lack of chemistry' in PSG loss
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Paris St Germain's Angel Di Maria and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting celebrate their third goal.
PHOTO: REUTERS
PARIS (Reuters) - Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane fumed at his team's lack of intensity after the 13-times European champions started their Champions League campaign with a chastening 3-0 defeat at Paris St-Germain on Wednesday (Sept 18).
Real, record 13-times European champions, were overwhelmed, especially in midfield, and failed to muster a single shot on target at the Parc des Princes.
"Clearly they were better than us in every department - in the way they played, in midfield," the Frenchman told a news conference.
"What upset me is that we did not put enough intensity in the game and at that level of competition, it's not possible.
"They're good at creating chances, that's not what worries me. What worries me is that lack of intensity," Zidane added after Real suffered their first defeat of the season.
With their midfield players totally suffocated by the PSG duo of Idrissa Gueye and Marco Verratti, Real struggled to bring the ball forward.
"Failing to create proper chances with the players with have up front - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard - is a weird feeling," said Zidane.
"You can play badly but if you have the intensity, if you fight for the ball, you're in the game," he added.
"Clearly they were better than us in every department - in the way they played, in midfield," the Frenchman told a news conference.
"What upset me is that we did not put enough intensity in the game and at that level of competition, it's not possible.
"They're good at creating chances, that's not what worries me. What worries me is that lack of intensity," Zidane added after Real suffered their first defeat of the season.
With their midfield players totally suffocated by the PSG duo of Idrissa Gueye and Marco Verratti, Real struggled to bring the ball forward.
"Failing to create proper chances with the players with have up front - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Eden Hazard - is a weird feeling," said Zidane.
"You can play badly but if you have the intensity, if you fight for the ball, you're in the game," he added.
Angel Di Maria scored twice against his former club as PSG shrugged off the absences of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe to get off to the perfect start in their latest bid for Champions League success.
Di Maria beat Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois at his near post to put PSG ahead in the 14th minute, but it was his second goal just after the half-hour mark that really lit up this encounter.
The Argentine, who starred for Real for four years and won the Champions League with them in 2014 before making an ill-fated move to Manchester United, gave Courtois no chance with a shot on his left foot from 20 yards out that arrowed into the corner.
Thomas Meunier added the gloss to the score-line at the death but it was Di Maria who had cleared the way for his side, stepping up in the absences of the injured Mbappe and Edinson Cavani as well as the suspended Neymar.
But, after three consecutive last-16 eliminations in the Champions League, the French side was taking their impressive win with a large pinch of salt.
"Before anyone asks a question... If someone asks me if we're going to win the Champions League, I'm out of here," Tuchel told a news conference, following their first Champions League game since Manchester United's shock 3-1 win in Paris knocked them out last season.
The United debacle followed a 5-2 aggregate defeat by Real Madrid in 2018 and a memorable loss to Barcelona in 2017 with a 6-1 defeat at the Camp Nou following a 4-0 home win.
"We did not want to send a message but it is true that we controlled this game, we were well prepared," PSG centre back Thiago Silva said.
Having spent over one billion euros (S$1.52 billion) on players since Qatar Sports Investment took over in 2011, PSG have been expected to win the Champions League but they have fallen spectacularly short in recent seasons.
They are now focused on the first task of getting through to the knockout phase from a group featuring Real, Club Brugge and Galatasaray.
"Maybe the pressure was not too high on the players because those three were missing," said Tuchel.
"Without them we were not the favourites and it freed the minds of those who were on the pitch tonight, they did not feel the pressure."
Although the German acknowledged he could not afford to miss the "MCN" trio for too long, he was satisfied the rest of the squad made up for their absence.
"We can do without them for a few games if all the others play at their best," he said.
PSG recruited during the close season, notably bringing in goalkeeper Keylor Navas from Real Madrid and striker Mauro Icardi on loan from Inter Milan.
But it was midfielder Idrissa Gueye, who joined from Everton, who caught the eye on Wednesday, setting up Di Maria for the second goal and working tirelessly.
"Idrissa, it's incredible. I don't have the words. I don't know how many balls he won today," Silva said.
