'PSG front three don't defend': Opposition player taunts Messi, Neymar and Mbappe after 1-1 draw

After Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 1-1 draw on Sunday by a resolute Reims side, centre-back Yunis Abdelhamid took the opportunity to take a shot at the front three of Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Abdelhamid said PSG's front three did not defend which made the work easy for the opponents.

"It was easy to work the ball out of the defence because the front three [Messi, Mbappe, Neymar] don’t defend," Abdelhamid told the reporters.

"We knew on our side that if we passed this first line, they no longer participate in the collective defensive effort. We worked on that. We wanted to exploit it and that’s what we managed to do. That’s why we created so many chances."

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Reims came from behind to secure a draw as on-loan Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun ensured that PSG were frustrated on the night.

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Neymar had given Les Parisiens the advantage early in the second half but Reims continued to pile on the pressure and finally got their way in the final minute of the extra time.

To add insult to injury, PSG midfielder Marco Verrati was shown a red card. Notably, this was the second instance where Reims had secured a draw against defending champions in the league.

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Though Abdelhamid's statement may incense the supporters of PSG forward men, the pundits have extensively talked about the inability of the front three to press aggressively as a unit.

It is a tactical deficiency that has been exploited by several big teams in the Champions League. Real Madrid came from behind against PSG last season and managed to turn the two-legged tie in the last half-an-hour of the match, solely due to this reason.

Many believe that PSG may not be able to win the knockouts if the front three continue to press the way they have been.

Since the beginning of the year, PSG have dropped points in three of their four games. The form is a cause of concern as the round of 16 tie against Bayern Munich is a little over two weeks away.

(With inputs from agencies)

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