Tuchel delighted with PSG’s reaction

– Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel said his side need to “stay humble” after they thumped Red Star Belgrade 4-1 on Tuesday and qualified for the last 16 of the Champions League, finishing ahead of Liverpool and Napoli to top a tight Group C.

First-half goals from Edinson Cavani and Neymar (left) set the French champions on their way, before a bullet header from Marquinhos, Kylian Mbappe’s injury-time strike and Liverpool beating Napoli 1-0 ensured first place in the group after Marko Gobeljic pulled one back for the hosts early in the second half.

“We made mistakes, but I really liked the reaction after Belgrade’s goal,” said Tuchel.

“We need to stay humble and have a professional attitude. We are improving and we are hard to beat.”

PSG finished the group stage on 11 points, two ahead of second-placed Liverpool and Napoli.

Topping such a keenly-contested group is a huge boost for PSG, who have dominated French football since being taken over by Qatari investors but flattered to deceive on the continent.

Arrival in the knockout stage comes after two straight wins for PSG, with Tuesday’s beating of Red Star coming after a crucial 2-1 victory over Liverpool that put qualification in their hands.

“We showed for a second time after the match against Liverpool that we are ready for this kind of match,” added Tuchel, whose side began the group stage with a 3-2 defeat at Anfield. – AFP