Mauricio Pochettino was left to lament costly defensive errors after Paris Saint-Germain squandered a 2-0 lead in their frustrating 2-2 Ligue 1 draw with Troyes on Sunday.
Ligue 1 champions PSG found themselves 2-0 up inside 25 minutes at the Parc des Princes after Marquinhos and Neymar found the net, but Nuno Mendes' dire pass allowed Ike Ugbo to halve the arrears before Florian Tardieu scored a second-half penalty to ensure the points were shared.
The disappointing draw marked the first time PSG had led by two goals in a home Ligue 1 match and failed to win since February 2015 in a 2-2 draw against Caen, after Presnel Kimpembe's clumsy foul allowed Tardieu to beat Keylor Navas with an audacious Panenka.
The Parisian giants were again booed by their own supporters at the full-time whistle, and have now thrown away a two-goal lead in consecutive games after being pegged back from 3-1 down in a 3-3 draw at Strasbourg last time out.
However, Pochettino, who is facing mounting pressure in the French capital despite PSG's title win, claimed his side were unfortunate not to win and should have been awarded a penalty when Achraf Hakimi appeared to be pushed shortly after the break.
"We started the match well, then we made two errors which cost us two goals," he said after the entertaining draw. "I think we still created more than Troyes.
"We deserved a little more luck tonight. We may have missed this tension of the competition. The objective was to win the championship, it's done. Now you have to respect the competition, and I think we did.
"I think [the lack of a penalty] was not justified. There was a penalty on Hakimi on the other side of the field. Our opponents must surely think the opposite, but that's my opinion."
PSG are now on a three-match winless streak in Ligue 1 – each of those finishing in draws – which is their longest such sequence since April 2019 (also three).
They have also failed to win back-to-back home games for the first time since suffering three consecutive home defeats between February and April last year.
Pochettino's team had numerous chances to win the game, with Lionel Messi hitting the post and the crossbar and Neymar having two goals ruled out by VAR.
Messi has now hit the woodwork 10 times in Ligue 1 this season. Since Opta began collecting such data (2006-07), no player has done so more often in a top-flight season (Bakary Sako also did so 10 times for Saint-Etienne in 2011-12), leading the forward's boss to rue his "incredible" misfortune.
"It's an incredible lack of luck," he said. "We could have won the match on his last action [when he hit the bar in the last minute]. For a player of his quality, this is the only explanation."
With PSG having wrapped up their 10th Ligue title last month, Pochettino has faced criticism from some quarters for not giving more game time to the club's young players.
But the Argentine insisted PSG's academy prospects must earn their right to play, and noted the fierce competition in his star-studded squad.
"It is important to clarify that we built a squad of more than thirty players at the start of the season. We had departures in January, but it is a team where there is not much room for young people," he added.
"They have to earn their playing time. Several have been training with us since day one. It's a first step. What is important is the composition of the squad going forward and that there is room for them to gain minutes. Little by little, young people will find their place."
Like father, like son – Shaqueel van Persie makes Youth League debut
Robin van Persie handed a UEFA Youth League debut to his son Shaqueel for Feyenoord on Tuesday.
Van Persie, the former Arsenal and Manchester United star, is now coaching Feyenoord's Under-18s team and the Under-19s team.
And while taking charge of the latter side in the Youth League, Van Persie handed his son Shaqueel his debut in the competition as a 56th-minute substitute against Atletico Madrid.
Van Persie junior could not help his father's team avoid defeat, however, with Iker Luque scoring the only goal of the game in the 81st minute.
Shaqueel the real deal?
Shaqueel van Persie made his European debut five years and 104 days after his father last played in a European match for Feyenoord, where he finished his career.
The 17-year-old, who was born during Van Persie's stint at Arsenal, began his youth career with Manchester City before moving to Feyenoord in 2017, a year before his father joined the same club.
He has already represented the Netherlands at Under-16 and Under-17 level.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta feels he still has something to prove in Europe
Mikel Arteta admits he still has something to prove as a manager in European competition as he aims to lead Arsenal into the Champions League knockout stages on Wednesday night.
The Gunners host Lens at the Emirates Stadium knowing a point would secure safe passage into the last 16 while victory will seal top spot in Group B.
Arteta led Arsenal back into the Champions League after a seven-year absence but – other than a run to the semi-finals in 2020-21 – he struggled in Europa League knockout games earlier in his tenure.
Asked if he has something to prove in Europe, he replied: “For sure.
“I think it is not that we have to prove, we had to come back into Europe being the club we want to be, have that presence and the results that tell them we are back in a strong way, we haven’t done that yet and it needs to be done.”
While Arsenal are on the verge of qualifying for the latter rounds, Premier League rivals Manchester United and Newcastle are still uncertain if their European campaigns will extend beyond Christmas this season.
“100 per cent not,” Arteta replied when asked if qualification should be taken for granted.
“You have to sweat, dig in a lot and play well in games to deserve to win them. We are playing against really tough opponents.
“PSV have won all of their games in their league, they have only lost against us. Sevilla is a very tough place to go and tomorrow is going to be a really difficult game but hopefully we can be better than them.
“I am enjoying it, is a great feeling. It makes you proud, it makes you feel that it is the level the club should be at and we are competing really well so let’s continue to do so.”
With Arsenal on the cusp of making the knockout rounds, Arteta could be tempted to shuffle his pack against their Ligue 1 opposition.
Kai Havertz will be pushing for a start after coming off the bench to score a late winner at Brentford on Saturday to send Arsenal top of the Premier League.
Others will also be knocking on the door but one player who will definitely not feature is Fabio Vieira.
Arteta revealed the midfielder has gone under the knife to fix a niggling groin issue and could not offer a return date when pressed.
“Yes, we’ve got a problem with him,” he said.
“He’s been having some discomfort. We tried to have some conservative treatment with him.
“It wasn’t improving so we sent him to see a specialist and the advice was to have an operation in his groin. We expect him to be out for weeks now.
“We don’t expect him to (be back before January). Let’s see how he evolves. The job it was done yesterday so we’ll have to wait and see. It will take weeks I think.”
Vieira joins Thomas Partey, Jurrien Timber and Emile Smith Rowe on the sidelines with the potential that the quartet all miss the busy festive schedule.
Bayern Munich to keep ‘hunger high’ in Champions League top spot – Thomas Tuchel
Thomas Tuchel insists Bayern Munich do not see it as job done in the Champions League despite having secured top spot in their group with two matches remaining.
Bayern host Copenhagen on Wednesday knowing progress to the knockout stage is assured but they want to maintain their momentum, as well as extend their proud record of having won 17 consecutive group games.
“It’s still a Champions League game,” Tuchel told a press conference when asked if he would rotate his squad.
“We are on a roll and we are having results and we don’t want to interrupt this phase because the management of workload is not too difficult. We now have a longer break from Friday to Wednesday.
“We are discussing it. We’re certain of being top in the group but we don’t want to send the signal that it’s not that important to us.
“If we make changes then it is in order to keep that bite, to keep that hunger high and to give players an opportunity that were patient, that were really pushing for their places.”
Bayern announced ahead of the game that veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has made a strong comeback from a broken leg, and his understudy Sven Ulreich have both signed new one-year deals, keeping them at the club until June 2025.
Neuer, who joined the club from Schalke in 2011, said on fcbayern.com: “I’m happy to be staying at FC Bayern for another year. After my long injury, I’m back in full swing.
“It’s immense fun for me to be on the pitch with this team. I’m sure that, together with the fans, we can achieve our big goals in the coming years – and obviously the 2025 Champions League final in Munich is one of them.
“Knowing that I still have Sven by my side makes it even nicer.”
Tuchel was asked during his press conference about another long-serving Bayern stalwart, Thomas Muller, who has started only five games this season.
“He knows that he has the chance and he knows that I really rate him highly,” said Tuchel of the 34-year-old.
“He has my respect. Thomas is a playing legend at Bayern Munich. The players that play more really play very well at this time.
“Choupo (Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting) is a different type of player and we wanted to give him a chance. He is working hard to win games for us as well.
“Thomas should play from the start tomorrow. He’s obviously not happy, nobody’s happy at Bayern Munich when he’s sitting on the bench, but Thomas will be a special player.”
Copenhagen currently sit second in the group but are level on points with Galatasaray and only one ahead of Manchester United.
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