PARIS — Following a disappointing 2-1 defeat at home to Atletico Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain’s captain Marquinhos expressed frustration over the team’s lack of efficiency and failure to perform adequately. This loss has positioned PSG last among the four French clubs competing in the revamped Champions League format.
Despite entering this season with hopes of clinching the elusive title, PSG has managed only one victory in four matches, placing them at 25th out of 36 teams. The bottom 12 clubs in this new structure face elimination after just eight matchdays.
“We are not making progress in terms of efficiency,” Marquinhos remarked during an interview with Canal Plus. He highlighted that while mistakes in earlier games often went unpunished, facing top-tier opponents means that errors are swiftly capitalized upon.
With challenging matches against Bayern Munich and Manchester City looming, there is concern that PSG might not secure a place in the knockout stage of the tournament. The top eight teams will advance to the round of 16, while teams ranked ninth through 24th will enter knockout playoffs.
“One must speak the truth; if we wish to win, we need to execute our game plan correctly,” Marquinhos stated in French. “Having been here for 10 or 11 years, I have experienced the consequences of minor oversights.” In previous years, PSG reached the semifinals of the Champions League last season and made it to the final in 2020.
In contrast, fellow French club Brest, which has a considerably smaller budget, had yet to participate in any European competition before this season. Yet, Monaco is currently third, and Brest is fourth in the Champions League standings, both remaining unbeaten. Lille has notably triumphed over Real Madrid at home, managed a win against Atletico Madrid away, and secured a draw with Juventus.
While these clubs are exceeding expectations, PSG is struggling to meet them. The match took a turn after PSG midfielder Warren Zaïre-Emery scored in the 14th minute, but poor defensive play allowed Atletico to equalize just four minutes later, with Nahuel Molina finding the net.
Atletico’s goalkeeper Jan Oblak was called into action, making several key saves against Bradley Barcola, João Neves, and Achraf Hakimi. In a crucial moment during stoppage time, after a PSG corner, Oblak launched the ball upfield, where veteran forward Antoine Griezmann collected it and assisted Ángel Correa, who scored in the third minute of added time.
“We were out of position, which enabled them to counterattack effectively,” Marquinhos added. “These are areas we must address, especially with important matches coming up where we need to earn points.”
PSG’s midfielder Vitinha also commented on the match, attributing the loss to missed opportunities—something that has plagued the team since their preceding 1-1 draw against PSV. “It’s the small details that determine outcomes, and we couldn’t capitalize on our chances,” the Portugal international stated. “We need to enhance our gameplay and maintain composure.”
Prior to the match, PSG supporters from the Auteuil section of Parc des Princes displayed a large banner that read “Free Palestine,” accompanied by a second line in French stating, “War on the pitch but peace in the world.”