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Mauricio Pochettino says he finds it ‘impossible to explain’ his Paris Saint-Germain side’s capitulation against Real Madrid on Wednesday night, admitting, ‘we collapsed a bit’.
PSG were in a handsome position in the tie, leading 1-0 in the second leg and 2-0 on aggregate, but tossed away their advantage in 17 mad minutes in Madrid.
Karim Benzema netted a hat-trick, scoring his first goal 61 minutes into the match and his third by the 78th, completely turning the tie on its head.
There was a bad mistake from Gianluigi Donnarumma leading to the first and an error from Marquinhos which handed Benzema the third as PSG crumbled under pressure.
Pochettino admits they fell apart, but worryingly cannot explain why.
‘Qualification was decided in the 10 minutes,’ Pochettino told RMC Sport, via Get French Football News. ‘We were the best team over the two games. Football is about managing match moments well. It’s true that we’ve collapsed a bit. It’s impossible to explain.’
Donnarumma dithered on a back pass, closed down by Benzema before playing the ball straight to Vinicius Junior, who squared back to the Frenchman to score Real’s first goal.
Benzema certainly shoved the Italian goalkeeper, which was not given as a foul and Pochettino feels this was an injustice which cost his side.
‘When you concede a goal like we did, the game changes, the state of mind in the stadium as well,’ Pochettino continued.
‘The supporters carried their team, everything changed. It’s incredible that the foul on Donnarumma wasn’t looked over by VAR. It’s a very clear foul from Benzema for me.
‘Every angle shows that it was a foul. I don’t understand why VAR wasn’t used at that moment.’
PSG’s sporting director, Leonardo, agreed with his manager, saying: ‘The incident of the foul on Donnarumma was crucial, but we struggled to manage that moment. We lost control. We need to look for solutions. But it’s a shame that a referee’s decision can be so influential in that sort of moment.’
MORE : ‘They don’t care’ – Paris Saint-Germain can’t succeed with these players, says Steve McManaman
MORE : Karim Benzema hat-trick stuns PSG and sends Real Madrid into Champions League quarter-finals
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Source: Metro Sport
