John Marshall
Paris Saint-Germain were beaten 2-0 by Monaco on Sunday, their first league loss at home in 35 matches.
Laurent Blanc lamented Paris Saint-Germain’s efficiency but insisted the Ligue 1 champions “could not have done more offensively” to prevent defeat against Monaco.
After being crowned French champions for a fourth successive time last weekend, Monaco spoiled the title parade with a surprise 2-0 win at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.
Second-half goals from Vagner Love and Fabinho, who converted a late penalty, condemned PSG to their first home league defeat in 35 matches.
But with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Lucas Moura and Angel Di Maria all on the pitch, a relaxed Blanc said there was not much else he could do.
“We’ve been a little less efficient than usual. That kind of things happen,” the Frenchman said.
“Yet, we had offensive players in our 11 with three strikers and Di Maria in the midfield. We couldn’t have done more offensively speaking.”
Blanc, who said the remaining games will be complicated having already wrapped up the league, added: “That was a special game because it happened after the one that settled the trophy, after our goal in Champions League has been reached [qualification for the quarter-finals] and a day before that all the players leave to join their national teams.
“All over the world playing important games and for some to qualify for the next World Cup in 2018. It was a dangerous game. Those games before the international break are very dangerous.”
PSG defender David Luiz – at fault for the 68th-minute penalty – continued: “I think we haven’t made a great performance. Even at the level we’ve played tonight we couldn’t win the game. Sometime that kind of result can happen.
“[But] I think that we can see the ‘real PSG’ every day. That’s why we have so many points [22] ahead of the others.”
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