Emery calls for PSG improvement despite perfect start

Paris Saint-Germain has won three out of three in the Champions League, but the manager was not wholly pleased with the display at Anderlecht.

Published : Oct 19, 2017 13:56 IST , Brussels

Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery said his team found tactical discipline in the second half.
Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery said his team found tactical discipline in the second half.
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Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery said his team found tactical discipline in the second half.

Unai Emery saw room for improvement in Paris Saint-Germain's 4-0 Champions League win at Anderlecht on Wednesday.

Kylian Mbappe, Edinson Cavani and Neymar were all on the scoresheet, with Angel Di Maria adding a late fourth, but PSG — even as it won a third consecutive European game, making it 12 goals scored and none conceded — did not have everything its own way.

Anderlecht threatened repeatedly in the first half and also hit the crossbar late on, with Emery now looking to tweak his side to avoid further scares.

He said: "We are happy – I am very satisfied with the individual performances.

"But there is progress to be made in the team as a collective. In this kind of game, it is important to improve small details. In the first half, we did not have perfect control of the match. We were sometimes surprised on the counter-attack.

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"In the second half, we found a better balance. There was tactical discipline. It is my job to balance the team.

"The match started very well with a goal in the third minute. But then, for a moment, we lost track. Anderlecht played with great intensity, sometimes with aggression."

Midfielder Marco Verratti similarly did not feel it was a particularly outstanding performance, despite the one-sided scoreline.

"We scored right at the start, but Anderlecht played very well and had chances," he said. "It wasn't a great game from us, but we're happy with the result.

"We can do even better and we created a lot of chances. We have great players who can make the difference. We defended well and also had a little luck."

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