Schmeichel: PSG´s ´terrible´ defence will prevent Champions League glory

Paris Saint-Germain will not win the Champions League because they are “terrible at defending,” according to former Manchester United goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel.

Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi scored twice while Neymar was also on target in the thumping 7-2 victory over Maccabi Haifa at Parc des Princes.

Despite progressing to the knockout stages with a match to spare, the Champions League trophy has remained elusive to PSG, who are yet to register a clean sheet in this season’s competition after Abdoulaye Seck’s brace for the visitors.

Schmeichel, who lifted the trophy with United in 1999, heaped praise on the attacking trio of Mbappe, Messi and Neymar after another devastating goalscoring display, but believes that defensive frailties will wreck any title ambitions.

2015 – Abdoulaye Seck is the first defender to score a brace against Paris in all competitions since Julian Palmieri with Bastia in January 2015. Improbable. #PSGMAC pic.twitter.com/Cvsxkks51z

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) October 25, 2022

“What was special about this game was the quality of the goals,” he told CBS Sports Golazo. “You can’t defend against that. These three guys up front, Mbappe, Neymar and Messi, when they play like that, there are no answers.

“I’m not sure when you talk about them winning the Champions League. I think the problem they have also showed today. When they’re 3-0 up, all of a sudden, it’s 4-2. They need to score a lot of goals to win games, and it’s not always going to happen.

“I think they are terrible defending; that’s also because of the three front players. When you are at the stadium, and you see how little they take part in defending.

“Everybody else, Bayern Munich, Manchester City, all those teams, it’s 11 players attacking, it’s 11 players defending. I think in modern-day football, that’s what you need.

“That could be the problem in one game, one game against Man City, one game against Real Madrid, it’s enough to get knocked out.”