After PSG's defeat at Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the Champions League (1-0), Joao Neves called on his teammates not to give up. The Portuguese midfielder also gave his support to Matvey Safonov, author of a big blunder on the Bavarians' goal.
Stay hopeful and don't give up. Joao Neves gave a mobilizing speech after PSG's new disappointment on the pitch of Bayern Munich on Tuesday in the Champions League (1-0). At the end of a lackluster performance, the Parisians, weighed down by the exclusion of Ousmane Dembélé at the start of the second half, lost for the third time in five European outings. Now twenty-sixth in the standings, Luis Enrique's players will have to raise their level in their last three matches (in Salzburg, against Manchester City and Stuttgart) to try to secure a play-off place.
“We must stay united,” said Joao Neves in the mixed zone of the Allianz Arena. “With the red card, of course it’s difficult. But that’s football.” The 20-year-old Portuguese midfielder also came to the defense of Matvey Safonov. Aligned in place of Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Russian goalkeeper completely missed the winning goal scored by Kim Min-jae from a corner. “It’s not his fault, it’s the team’s,” said Joao Neves. “Like when one player scores, it's the whole team. We stay together no matter what. The fans are disappointed, like us. We will fight until the end.”
“The team remained united until the end”
On the PSG website, the former Benfica prospect then admitted that his team had suffered at the Allianz Arena. “It was a difficult match. We tried our best, like every match. Unfortunately, we didn't score, but we had chances. With one player less, it's more difficult, but I think the team stayed together until the end and that’s the positive point.”
