โWe must not give up" - Marco Verratti reacts to PSG's unexpected elimination from the Coupe de France
PSG midfielder Marco Verratti has vowed to fight on following an unexpected elimination from the French Cup on Monday.
The Parisians were defeated by domestic rivals Nice 6-5 on penalties after the sides played out a goalless draw in normal time. 18-year-old substitute Xavi Simons missed the decisive kick at the sudden death, ending their hopes of reaching the quarter-finals of the competition.
Nice have knocked PSG out of the Coupe de France on penalties ๐ณ https://t.co/e9SLp4lWiL
It was also their earliest cup exit in 11 years. As disappointing as it was for his side, Verratti feels all's not lost yet and urges PSG to fight hard for the games ahead.
โWe must continue to work. We must not give up, we still have very important games. We have to continue like this and do even more.โ
The Italy international was one of their best performers in the clash, completing 98 successful passes and creating a number of goalscoring opportunities. He also scored his penalty in the shootout.
But it wasn't enough. Not even Lionel Messi could rescue them, with the Argentine largely quiet during open play, although he, too, made no mistake from 12 yards.
PSG are still chasing two trophies
The Parisians are still competing on two fronts, the Ligue 1 and the Champions League. They boast a healthy 11-point advantage over second-placed Nice with only 16 games left in the campaign, and are through to the knockout stages in Europe.
Mauricio Pochettino's side have drawn Real Madrid in the Round of 16 in what should be a tough encounter for both teams.
The scenes in the Nice dressing room after knocking out PSG of the cup. ๐๐ฅ
๐ฝ๏ธ @ogcnice
https://t.co/4oq7AoibGy
The French giants have reached at least the semi-finals of the competition in each of their last two seasons, breaking a spell of three successive last-16 exits.
PSG reinforced their squad formidably in last summer, roping in top players like Messi, Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Giorginio Wijnaldum.
Expectations are high this time around, increasing pressure on Pochettino, who's come under fire for a series of disappointing results in their last few games.