'We have to wake up' - Paris Saint-Germain's Danilo, Galtier frustrated with lackadaisical effort

By Sports Desk April 02, 2023

Paris Saint-Germain defender Danilo felt his side "did not respect" their opposition during Sunday's surprising 1-0 home loss to Lyon.

The hosts controlled the ball with 62.2 per cent of the total possession, but found themselves on the wrong end of the expected goals 1.61 to 1.13 after conceding quality chances in both halves.

PSG were lucky to go into half-time level after Alexandre Lacazette's 39th-minute penalty struck the woodwork, but their luck ran out 11 minutes after the break when Bradley Barcola finished off a cutback from 18-year-old right-back Sael Kumbedi.

The loss leaves the Ligue 1 leaders with only a six-point buffer over second-placed Lens and Marseille.

Danilo urged his squad to get some desperation back in their play.

"We did not respect [Lyon] and we did not give it our all," he told Canal+ Foot. "But when you don't give everything you have to give, even at home, it's difficult to win every game. 

"We have to get out of there, because our opponents [Lens and OM] are only six points away. We have to wake up, because the title is not assured at all. 

"We know that Ligue 1 is a very difficult championship and we have to get that title. We have to change a lot of things, and not just the state of mind."

Head coach Christophe Galtier was disappointed to see his team "resign" at the first sign of adversity.

"We got off to a good start in the first 20 minutes," he said. "We were then taken on the transitions – I see that we are quickly resigned. 

"We had the ability to overturn matches and this evening, we quickly resigned ourselves. We lacked character, personality. There is disappointment, but there can also be cold anger. We lacked the investment.

"It's the eighth defeat in 2023. It's far too many. Match after match, we burn our jokers. Am I resigned? No – I will fight until the end. 

"There may be fatigue after the break, but we have to react in the next game. We must have the reaction of a champion. 

"I dare to hope that our players are not jaded on the titles – we must have a reaction of pride."

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    Bayern crashed out 4-3 on aggregate at Santiago Bernabeu after a dramatic double from substitute Joselu saw the hosts snatch victory to advance to the final on June 1.

    Tuchel's side thought they had forced extra-time when De Ligt had the ball in the net, but the referee had already blown his whistle after the linesman raised his flag, so VAR could not intervene.

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    Bayern had taken the lead through Alphonso Davies at the midway point in the second half, before Joselu's late intervention denied them a crack at a seventh title against compatriots Borussia Dortmund at Wembley.

    De Ligt said the linesman had apologised to him after the game.

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    Following Alphonso Davies' earlier strike at Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid trailed Bayern 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate when Joselu replaced Federico Valverde with nine minutes of their pulsating semi-final tie remaining.

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    "He's a player who's contributed a lot this season, even if he hasn't played many minutes," the Italian said. 

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    On loan from second-division side Espanyol, Joselu's journey to becoming the semi-final hero has been long and winding in a career involving a dozen clubs across Europe.

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    He was sold to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim in 2012 and then loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt before joining Hannover 96 in 2014.

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    He signed as a free agent with Espanyol in the summer of 2022, and a year later was loaned to Madrid and has scored nine goals in 32 appearances this season in LaLiga.

    Joselu, born in Stuttgart, Germany, made his debut for Spain aged 33, coming off the bench against Norway to score twice in two minutes in March 2023.

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