"You are not going to ask Messi or Neymar to defend for 90 minutes" - PSG star explains what defensive instructions Galtier gives Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) right-back Nordi Mukiele has given an insight into the defensive work assigned to the trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe by manager Christophe Galtier.

Galtier recently highlighted how the lack of defensive contributions from his famed attacking trio leaves space in the midfield. This was exploited by Maccabi Haifa in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) last week.

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The PSG manager was forced to make a tactical change during the encounter in Israel, which spurred a comeback from his side. They eventually completed a 3-1 win, with all three of Messi, Neymar and Mbappe getting on the scoresheet.

When asked about Galtier's defensive instructions to his three aforementioned teammates, Mukiele told Prime Video (via Culture PSG) after his team's 1-0 victory over Lyon:

“The coach simply talks with them, to tell them that they have to defend too. Afterwards, you are not going to ask Messi or Neymar to defend for 90 minutes. They manage to make the effort at certain times, when they feel that it is complicated for the team.

"We are very happy to see them defend, but also attack because they are very efficient. We showed that we can all defend together, and we did it very well with the clean sheet obtained.

"We are happy that everyone is defending. It's normal, and that was it against Lyon."

PSG maintain unbeaten start to the season as a Lionel Messi strike sees them through against Lyon

📺 HIGHLIGHTS: Lyon 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain 🤩

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PSG maintained their unbeaten start to the 2022-23 season by registering a 1-0 victory over Olympique Lyon on Sunday, September 18. Lionel Messi was the only goal-scorer in the match, with the Argentine scoring in the fifth minute of the encounter.

The win ensured the defending Ligue 1 champions stayed atop the league table with 22 points after eight matches, now enjoying a two-point lead over second-placed Marseille. They have so far dropped points just once, in a 1-1 draw with AS Monaco.

They have also won both their UCL matches so far. They first defeated Juventus 2-1 before getting the better of Maccabi Haifa by a 3-1 scoreline.