“They are well organised, alert and hard-hitting” – Christophe Galtier identifies 2 Maccabi Haifa players who can trouble PSG during Champions League clash
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) boss Christophe Galtier has claimed his team will not be taking Maccabi Haifa lightly in their upcoming UEFA Champions League clash.
The Parisiens fell a goal down to the Israeli champions earlier in the season but ultimately came back to win the encounter 3-1. However, Maccabi have already made a huge impact in this year's competition, pulling off a stunning victory over Juventus earlier in the campaign.
Lionel Messi is in the PSG team in the Champions League vs. Maccabi Haifa. 🇦🇷 https://t.co/XanyM06hNI
PSG will qualify for the knockout stages if they avoid defeat at the Parc des Princes on October 25. However, Galtier is well aware of the threat that the opposition can pose. In particular, he singled out Tjarron Chery, the attacking midfielder who has netted three times in the Champions League this term.
Galtier is also wary of right-winger Omer Atzilli, who has 13 goal contributions to his name across the campaign in 17 appearances. He also scored two strikes in their famous win over Juventus.
The PSG boss told his press conference (per RMC Sport):
"We weren't surprised by the quality of this team. They are well organised, alert and hard-hitting. They have technical players. They are aggressive in the good sense of the word and have offensive players."
He added:
“We were hampered during 30 minutes. They beat Juventus in another system and that shows the quality of their coach. Of the players that we have been able to analyze, there is Chery who is a great animator. I am also thinking of Atizli."
Lionel Messi with Neymar and Marco Verratti training with PSG. https://t.co/bHnj0Etbpe
PSG boss Christophe Galtier dubs Lionel Messi the best player of all time
Following PSG's 3-0 victory at Ajaccio, during which Lionel Messi scored again to maintain his strong start to the season, Galtier was full of praise for the forward.
The French boss summed up his team's impressive win by stating after the game (per Get French Football News):
"These are always tricky matches, Ajaccio did well to put us under pressure for 25 minutes. From the moment the pressure went down and we managed to keep possession, we created some interesting chances, like with the first goal. The players put in a good performance on a technical level."
He also showered praise on Messi, highlighting his teamwork and quality. Galtier said:
“The pace was less intense in the second half and we were in technical control. We had some key moments and didn’t score, which gave Ajaccio some hope, before our two magnificent goals, including Messi’s. People come to the stadium to watch Leo play – he’s the best player of all time."
The PSG boss added:
"He likes playing with the others, he has this quality of wanting to play with others, he is very altruistic and he was amazing on the second goal.”
Galtier: “People came to the stadium to see Leo. Of course they also want see PSG, Kylian, and Ney but I think everyone agrees that he [Messi] is the best player in football history.” https://t.co/ikEXiFuDfz