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Tuchel 'totally happy' with Icardi at PSG

Thomas Tuchel said he was "totally happy" with Mauro Icardi after Paris Saint-Germain's comfortable win over Monaco on Wednesday.

By Dejan Kalinic
Icardi and Neymar

Paris, January 16: Thomas Tuchel said he was "totally happy" with Mauro Icardi after Paris Saint-Germain's comfortable win over Monaco on Wednesday (January 15).

Icardi was substituted during the second half of the 4-1 victory, in which Kylian Mbappe scored a brace to go with Neymar's penalty and a Pablo Sarabia goal.

But Tuchel praised the forward, who has scored 17 goals in 21 games during his loan spell from Inter, despite his quieter display.

"He is used to touching just a few balls per game. We have Angel (Di Maria), Neymar, Kylian who touch many balls, so it's a good mix," the PSG head coach told a news conference.

"Mauro is used to working for us, staying in the spaces with discipline and creating some spaces for his team-mates which is important for us.

"Now he didn't score in his last two games, but he worked defensively so much. It was very important and impressive. No doubt of Mauro.

"We decided to let Kylian and Neymar as strikers for 70 minutes to use the speed of those two on counter-attacks and stay dangerous on our offensive transitions, but I am totally happy with Mauro."

Di Maria was also unable to get on the scoresheet against Monaco, but the attacker provided an assist for Mbappe.

The 31-year-old was also hailed by Tuchel as PSG moved eight points clear atop the Ligue 1 table.

"During the first half (Di Maria) was exceptional without the ball. He won many challenges and helped everyone," Tuchel said.

"I am very happy he made one or two assists. During previous games he made a lot of the last passes before the assist.

"So it's like that with him, when we want something special from him he always gives a lot of intensity. Sometimes he gives too much and loses his patience to find quick solutions, but he runs and finds intensity.

"As I said, during the first half he had an exceptional game to win a lot of balls and challenges. It was good."

Story first published: Thursday, January 16, 2020, 10:41 [IST]
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