Paris Saint Germain star Achraf Hakimi recently shared his thoughts on getting knocked out of the Champions League as they did in the round of 16 as he shared the disbelief that the players had among themselves. PSG had a 1-0 lead from the first leg and even in the second leg, they led again at halftime. However, a second half blitzkrieg from Real Madrid and specifically Karim Benzema saw Los Blancos go through to the quarterfinals.
Speaking to Telefoot, Hakimi shared how the players had complete disbelief that they were knocked out of the Champions League after a poor 45 minutes against Los Blancos.
He shared how he does not understand how PSG got eliminated in that fashion. He said, “Honestly, it’s hard to digest. Also, in recent days, seeing the Champions League matches and realizing that we are eliminated. We had qualities. We were not far from passing. The truth is, I can’t explain it to myself. Even today, when I think about it, I don’t understand how we could have been eliminated and in this way.”
The star fullback shared how PSG had goals to go deep into the Champions League and even win the title if possible. But the second half hattrick from Benzema poured cold water on their dreams. “It’s not an easy season, our goal was to go as far as possible in the Champions League and try to win it. It is the first season, there are a lot of new players and I needed a moment of adaptation. Especially to understand how everyone plays,” Hakimi added.
It was Kylian Mbappe who helped PSG win the first leg at the Parc des Princes. Mbappe carried that form into the second leg as he handed PSG the lead in the first half of the second leg. But it was not enough for Mauricio Pochettino’s men as they got knocked out by Benzema and company.
The defeat was not happily accepted by the PSG fans as they jeered Neymar and Lionel Messi in the following Ligue 1 games. However, Hakimi sympathizes with the supporters and shares that he understands how the supporters felt after their Champions League exit. “It’s a bit hard for me, and I understand the fans who are sad and upset because we are too. In football, the little details make the difference. These small details will have to be corrected to go as far as possible next year. This is what will make you a champion one day,” Hakimi concluded.
PSG are now 15 points clear in the Ligue 1 and with six games left this season, the French giants are on course to winning the league title.
