Pochettino Confident Mbappe Can Get Job Done Against Barca

By Daily sports on February 16, 2021

Paris St Germain’s Kylian Mbappe will be under the spotlight when they face Barcelona in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie on Tuesday without Neymar and Angel Di Maria but coach Mauricio Pochettino feels he will live up to expectations.

Although Mbappe is the Ligue 1 top scorer with 16 goals this season, he has largely failed to ignite in the Champions League with just two goals and he has not scored in the knockout stage since a 2-0 win at Manchester United in the last 16 in 2019.

But Pochettino, who is expected to field Mauro Icardi and Pablo Sarabia or Moise Kean alongside the 22-year-old Mbappe, said he was pleased with the France striker's form.

“Clearly we’re missing important players but we have a team and players who are responsible,” Pochettino, who took over from the sacked Thomas Tuchel at the beginning of the year, told a news conference on Monday.

“As for Mbappe, I expect from him what I always expect from great players. I'm very happy with his performances since I arrived.”

Neymar suffered a thigh problem in last week's French Cup win at Caen while Di Maria has a similar injury which he picked up in the Ligue 1 victory away to Olympique Marseille on 7 February.

While Pochettino welcomes back first-choice keeper Keylor Navas, the Argentine said he had still not decided whether he would field Italy midfielder Marco Verratti, who missed last weekend’s 2-1 Ligue 1 win against Nice with a hip injury.

“We have to go step by step. We have to analyse Marco today in training. We have a strategy, a game plan. According to his form, we’ll make the right decision,” he said.

PSG and Barcelona have not met since the French champions were thrashed 6-1 at the Camp Nou in the last 16 in 2017 after winning the first leg 4-0. (Reuters)

•PHOTO: Kylian Mbappe

 

Source Daily sports

Posted February 16, 2021


 

You may also like...
Ferdinand Recalls Rejecting Barcelona Move

Ezeaku optimistic of Rangers’ good outing in NPFL,...

Rohr halts Nigeria’s slide in September Fifa ranking,...

Bayern Munich Beat Dortmund To Move Three Points...

Lyon Demands Force Arsenal To Delay Aouar Plans...

Thiago Silva Signs New Chelsea Contract Until 2023...

 

Latest News Nigeria beat Cameroon to reach IHF final 27 schools for Doregos Basketball Championship Super Falcons to play France’s Les Bleues in friendly SWAN suspends ban on coverage of Anambra FA activities Joshua among boxing’s top three earners in 2024 Oshoala makes history with Bay FC Nnamani hails team over IHF bright start Flamingos lift U-17 W’Cup Fair Play Trophy Rangers Intl, SWAN partner on sports collaboration in SE LAGOS SWAN CELEBRATES AIG ZONE 2 ON HIS BIRTHDAY AND 30 DAYS IN OFFICE Traders Cup: Upholstery Soccer Team Secured 2nd Win To Advance To Round Two Lagos SWAN Celebrates Oba Akiolu, Iyaloja General, AIG Fayoade

 

Most Read Rangers International going, going . . . (55,142 views) Amaju Pinnick: A cat with nine lives (46,269 views) Second Term: Amaju Pinnick, Other NFF Heavyweights Home to Roost •How Pinnick Broke the Jinx (44,351 views) Missing $150,000 IAAF Grant: Solomon Dalung’s Hide and Seek game (43,992 views) Sports Development: Zenith Bank on the zenith (43,932 views) Current issues in Nigerian sports: Matters arising (43,879 views) Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje’s solid footprints, commitment to sports development in Kano State (43,718 views) NFF Presidency: Pinnick, Maigari, Ogunjobi, Okoye in Battle for Supremacy (43,289 views) Olopade, BET9A wave of revolution in NNL (42,333 views) Commonwealth Games 2018: Shame of Muhammadu Buhari, Solomon Dalung (41,036 views) Ibrahimovic’s Man U exit: Whose decision is it? And in whose interest? (39,490 views) John Mikel Obi: Segun Odegbami’s Outrageous Call! (38,917 views)

 

Phone numbers

Tel: +234(0)8066020976
+234(0)8055068145
+234(0)7013416146
+234(0)8094272884

Email addresses

info@dailysportsng.com
support@dailysportsng.com
publisher@dailysportsng.com

Office address

No 3, Adetoun Close, Off College Road, Ogba, Ikeja Lagos.
Website: www.dailysportsng.com

Social Media