Paris Saint-Germain needed players to step up against Toulouse FC on Saturday with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Jr. not playing due to injuries; Achraf Hakimi took the challenge to heart and played a role in the 2-1 win.
After Toulouse took the early 1-0 lead, Hakimi responded with a world-class strike from outside the box to level the scoring. Lionel Messi would score the eventual game-winner in unreal fashion.
Hakimi spoke with PSG TV postgame, where he discussed his mindset, knowing that the club needed other players to step up and fill the void left by the absences of Mbappe and Neymar.
“It’s not an easy match at the moment, but again [on Saturday], the whole team wanted to win, so we showed our personality; we used our courage to take the three points,” Hakimi said (h/t Paris Fans). “After the World Cup, I tried to redo what I was able to show with Morocco. I feel free [and] confident, and I hope to continue like this to help the team.
“I did my job, helping the team. I hope to continue like this. Now we are thinking of Marseille.”
Mbappe is out for three weeks and will miss the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first-leg clash against Bayern Munich on Feb. 14 after suffering a left thigh injury this week.
As for Neymar, there’s speculation he could return for the Coupe de France Round of 16 contest against Olympique de Marseille after dealing with pain in his groin.
Nonetheless, throwing the 31-year-old into a heated matchup and coming off an injury might not be the best idea. So, Hakimi could be counted on again to get PSG through the next round in the domestic cup.
