Pochettino faces Champions League limbo; loses points in easiest game of the season

Paris Saint-Germain missed a trick with their 1-1 draw away to Club Brugge at the Jan Breydel Stadion in Belgium on Wednesday. The French giants went into the game as favourites, boasting the attacking firepower of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Kylian Mbappe against a modest Club Brugge team. However, their star forwards failed to deliver the goods, with PSG unable to convert chances and half-chances to real goalscoring opportunities. The Parisians were pegged back by a Hans Vanaken equaliser in the 27th minute, 12 minutes after Ander Herrera put the Parisians in front. 

Mauricio Pochettino would have been frustrated by his side's lethargic performance considering that the match against Club Brugge could be the easiest all season. While no one expects PSG to crash out of the competition in the group stages, a big win on Matchday 1 would have been the perfect statement of intention by the Paris club. Especially in a group that has a relentless Manchester City side led by the brilliant Pep Guardiola. 

Now, PSG will have to secure maximum points against the English Champions on Matchday 2 to avoid an unwanted situation. If the French giants lose and RB Leipzig wins their match against Club Brugge, Mauricio Pochettino's side could find themselves bottom of the table with just 1 point.  After the date with Manchester City, Lionel Messi and co. would then have to navigate a double-header against the tricky RB Leipzig. The German League runner-ups from last season have shown they can score goals as they play an interesting brand of attacking football. 

Mauricio Pochettino was specifically brought in to win the much-coveted UEFA Champions League and this season is his litmus test to gauge performance. The Argentine coach took Tottenham Hotspur to the finals of the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League season but PSG Sporting Director, Leonardo and the Qatari owners would ask for more from Pochettino.