PSG vs Bayern: Why French Giants Are Struggling in Champions League Games Despite Having Messi, Mbappe, Neymar

• Paris Saint-Germain have always been outclassed in big Champions League matches despite having a star-studded squad
• Having Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar Junior presents its own set of disadvantages for any coach of the Parisians
• The Ligue 1 giants will have to overturn a 1-0 deficit to keep their hopes of a Champions League title alive this season

On paper, any team with Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe is a dangerous team that will take lots of effort to stop.

For the owners of Paris Saint-Germain, assembling this dream team looked like the answer to their Champions League problems, only that time and again, the team has fallen short of winning Europe's biggest prize.

They are on the brink of yet another early elimination after a Kingsley Coman strike at the Parc Des Princes gave Bayern Munich something to protect in the return leg.

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Mbappe has remained defiant that the tie isn't over until it is over. Knowing him, one should heed his words. He is a game-changer and almost single-handedly won the World Cup for France last year.

Neymar's best performance was back when he inspired that famous remontada versus PSG by overturning a 4-0 deficit. And Messi is always Messi - no more explanations needed.

Bayern's tactics vs PSG

But how come this trio is not delivering?

Julian Nagelsmann's charges bossed the Parisians on their own home turf for long periods. Part of it was down to the Bayern manager's ingenuity in using a 3-1-3-3 formation that overwhelmed PSG's right-hand side.

Were it not for Sergio Ramos' top-level performance, the scoreline would have been worse. No wonder Archaf Hakimi was substituted at half-time.

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In Messi, Neymar and Mbappe, a coach has three players who - for lack of a better word - are useless in defensive phases. Many times, the three superstars have been seen walking around when out of possession.

That can work against lower-level teams in the Ligue 1, but this has been PSG's greatest undoing in Europe.

Against high-level teams, the French champions are often pressed to the last man. The best way to beat a press is to counter with a press of your own, but this becomes difficult when not one, not two, but three of your players are not involved.

PSG relying on 'hopeful football'

PSG's tactics have mostly been to get the ball to the feet of one of their forwards and hope.

Again, this can work against low-level teams but against teams with solid defensive shapes, it will take a lot more than individual brilliance to break them down.

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The trio's inability to track back has often caused problems for PSG. You need players who are as good as defensively as on the offence and in situations where a player can't track back, let it be one player. Three is such a huge number.

PSG compared to other teams

Take Real Madrid, for example: Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo or Marco Asensio will often help in the pressing as well as Karim Benzema.

Pep Guardiola has the rest of the team doing the donkey work for Erling Haaland. Even Xavi Hernandez, despite still being a managerial novice in Europe, requires Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha to help out when defending.

Ironically, as tactical expert, Raj Chohan aptly captures it, the forwards who can press as well as they attack were bred in PSG's academy.

From Coman to Christopher Nkunku to Moussa Diaby, all these players who are good with intensity off the ball were let go by the club's hierarchy.

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It's a huge gap that has never been addressed. Asking the trio to constantly track back is out of the question.

That's why most of the burden usually lies with Marco Veratti. He makes the team tick until he meets a well-oiled midfield of Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich or Casemiro-Modric-Kroos (last season).

Second leg gameplan

Given that Christophe Galtier can't get another proper midfielder to help Veratti out, the most feasible solution will be to sacrifice one and use a back-three system.

This adds an extra layer of defence and allows Hakimi and Nuno Mendes to prod forward. The latter showed what he can do when allowed to roam forward during the second half.

Having big stars is not the answer to winning titles. Making them work on the pitch is. But so far, PSG have never cracked that code. Not by a long shot.

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Sports Brief earlier reported on PSG forward, Mbappe expressing confidence in his side to still qualfy for the next stage of the Champions League.

The French Champions suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, courtesy of a sublime volley from Kingsley Coman.

It was the second time in three years that Coman has haunted his former club after netting the winner against the Ligue 1 outfit in the 2020 final.