International Players

The question of the season: How will Neymar, Mbappe and Messi combine for PSG

By Adedamola Samuel

PSG now has one of the most fearsome front three made up of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. With Angel di Maria also in the frame, how does Mauricio Pochettino set up his squad to win the UEFA Champions League?

PSG now has one of the most fearsome front three made up of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. With Angel di Maria also in the frame, how does Mauricio Pochettino set up his squad to win the UEFA Champions League?

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When Qatar Sports Investments took over Paris Saint-Germain in 2011, they set specific targets that they'll want to achieve with the Ligue 1 side. The first phase was utter domination of the French domestic scene, followed by attracting world-class players to the Parc des Princes (significantly either Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi), and also winning the UEFA Champions League. The Parisians have achieved all but one of their targets for the club so far. 

10 years on, the club still awaits its first UEFA Champions League crown, the pinnacle of its ambition. They have also had some near misses with semi-final losses showing some progress. They got within touching distance of the trophy in 2020 when Thomas Tuchel led the PSG team to the final in Lisbon, only to lose by a 1-0 scoreline to Bayern Munich. This season, they will go again. With a new coach, Mauricio Pochettino, in charge and a raft of new, experienced and former Champions League winners on their payroll. 

Chief amongst PSG's summer recruits is Lionel Messi. The 4-time UEFA Champions League winner joined on a free transfer from Barcelona and goes straight into the line-up for the Parisians. However, his arrival could have also spurred PSG golden boy, Kylian Mbappe to consider his position at the club. Mbappe made it public that he'll prefer to leave the Parc des Princes last summer but couldn't get his wish. Now, he has to stay at least some months before he can leave. 

Meanwhile, Mauricio Pochettino needs to devise a way to accommodate all the attacking talent at his disposal especially Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. The Argentine tactician is expected to use a front 3 of Neymar, Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Alternatively, Pochettino could use a 4-2-3-1 formation with Angel di Maria playing in the number 8 role. The ability of Mauricio Pochettino to harness this side would determine if PSG wins the trophy this season especially with the real possibility of Kylian Mbappe leaving next summer.


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