Last Wednesday, Paris Saint-Germain suffered a 3-2 defeat against FC Barcelona at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal matchup.
The capital club had some defensive struggles in the first-leg loss. Despite initially leading 2-1, they conceded two unanswered goals. PSG must address their defensive miscues to fare better in next week’s second-leg showdown against Barcelona.
RMC Sport pundit Daniel Riolo discussed the defense and noted that manager Luis Enrique is doing a terrible job helping Lucas Beraldo adapt to European football. Riolo believes the youngster was exposed in the loss to Barcelona.
“Beraldo arrived this winter [and] quietly but swiftly became a starter,” Riolo said on After Foot RMC (h/t Le10Sport). “He’s never played at this level before… Pair him up with Lucas Hernandez.”
PSG’s path to the semifinals hinges on another outstanding display from Kylian Mbappé in Barcelona, underscoring his crucial role. A solid defense is also imperative, and perhaps Beraldo can have a bounce-back performance when the scene shifts to Spain. The French giants’ Champions League journey could conclude next week if these factors don’t align.
