For Tuchel it hasn’t started

– Paris Saint-Germain head to Guingamp for the second round of Ligue 1 matches already among the pace-setters, yet coach Thomas Tuchel (above) said it feels as if the club is still in pre-season.

There were some glimpses of innovation under the new coach with Neymar, who scored in his first start for PSG in six months, playing as a false nine in a 3-0 home victory over Caen.

Yet while the Brazilian superstar is back, PSG’s three World Cup winners Kylian Mbappe, Presnel Kimpembe and Alphonse Areola appeared only to show the trophy they won in Moscow to Parisian fans. Edinson Cavani and the injured Marco Verratti were also missing.

“We have to have some sort of second pre-season,” Tuchel said. “But it’s no longer the pre-season, we are playing for points and it’s important to win because we are aiming very high.”

Captain Thiago Silva said the team was not firing on all cylinders.

“Some players arrived late, they are not ready, me for example,” Silva said.

The PSG line-up contained three 19-year-olds making their first Ligue 1 starts – Stanley Nsoki and Colin Dagba as the fullbacks, and Antoine Bernede in midfield. Tuchel also took off Neymar, replacing the Brazilian with 18-yearold Timothy Weah with eight minutes left. Weah then scored.

The opening-day victory followed a 4-0 win over Monaco, last season’s runners-up, in the French Champions Trophy in China, and suggests PSG still have the edge on their domestic rivals.

After an opening weekend on which not a single match ended in a draw, PSG are second on goal difference behind Marseille, who thrashed Toulouse 4-0. –

Paris