Galtier says PSG are a work in progress after Messi scores in win over Kawasaki Frontale
Peter Thompson
July 20, 2022 23:03 MYT
July 20, 2022 23:03 MYT
Christophe Galtier says Paris Saint-Germain have plenty of work to do as they adapt to a new system after starting their tour with a win over Kawasaki Frontale.
Goals from Lionel Messi and Arnaud Kalimuendo gave the Ligue 1 champions a 2-1 victory over the champions of Japan at the National Stadium in front of a crowd of over 60,000 on Wednesday.
Galtier, who replaced the sacked Mauricio Pochettino as PSG head coach this month, started with Sergio Ramos, Presnel Kimpembe and Marquinhos in a back three.
The former Lille and Nice boss felt PSG were fortunate to only concede once in their tour opener, but knows it will take time for them to adapt to a different formation.
#PSGJapanTour2022 https://t.co/6MDdo9AhLy pic.twitter.com/eaN0dVZt5X — Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_English) July 20, 2022
An error occurred while retrieving the Tweet. It might have been deleted.
He is quoted saying in L'Equipe: "It was a very fast-paced game against a team that is in the middle of its championship, so physically, tactically and technically ready.
"Concerning us, there were good offensive combinations. I liked the way my players put pressure on the pitch loud and clear, which allowed us to be dangerous and create a lot of situations for ourselves.
"We are evolving in a new system, in 3-4-1-2, so we have to assimilate it. We experienced a lot of imbalances and thus conceded far too many situations on our goal.
"It's a big line of work for the coming weeks. We want to be able to have a lot of people [involved] offensively and at the same time to be able to keep a fair balance.
"You have to try to quickly find adjustments and compensations to avoid being caught in transition situations."
The Parisian giants will take on Urawa Red Diamonds in their next match on Saturday.