Hakimi begins PSG career with assist in thrashing of Le Mans

BetOdds African All Stars PSG PSG v Le Mans Club Friendlies Achraf Hakimi Le Mans

The Morocco wing-back made a fine start to life in the French capital as Mauricio Pochettino's team started preparations for the new season with a win

Achraf Hakimi started his PSG career with an assist as the Ligue 1 giants thrashed third division club Le Mans 4-0 in a friendly encounter on Wednesday.

The 22-year-old who joined the Parisians on a five-year deal from Inter Milan last Tuesday, made a starting debut in PSG's first pre-season warm-up match at the club's training ground.

Hakimi dazzled in the right-back position and he instantly made an impact which led to the hosts' second goal of the day, after Mauro Icardi's opener in the 12th minute.

Following fine team movement, the two-time Caf Youth Player of the Year linked up with Ismael Gharbi who doubled their lead in the 35th minute.

Hakimi was on parade for just 45 minutes before Mauricio Pochettino made six changes at the break. The Morocco international was replaced by Nathan Bitumazala.

Senegal internationals Abdou Diallo and Idrissa Gueye were also in action for PSG from the start and the latter was handed the captain’s armband in the absence of Marquinhos.

Gueye was replaced by Xavi Simons at half-time while Diallo played for 78 minutes before coming off for Teddy Alloh.

PSG have been active in the transfer window this summer and they have been bolstering their defence with key signings.

On Wednesday, the Parisians announced the arrival of goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma after they reunited Hakimi with former Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos.

“We want to apply the same principles as last season,” Pochettino told the club’s website. “We want to be an aggressive team in the right sense of the word, to be dominant on the pitch and to play in the opponent's half.

“We like playing well and understanding our players’ games, we work to have the best possible understanding on the pitch, more than just the system we use. We are clear about what we expect, about the mentality and about the principles of the game.

“And above all on the fact that we want to win every match, which is a standard for a club like Paris Saint-Germain. That's our biggest challenge, to make sure we don't differentiate between competitions, and play every game with the same desire to win."

PSG will continue their preparation for the 2021-22 season with another friendly fixture against third-division club Chambly on Saturday.

They will then begin the new campaign with the Super Cup clash against Ligue 1 champions Lille on July 31. Their quest for the top-flight crown will commence on August 7, with an away game against newly-promoted Troyes.

2021-07-14 23:00:01

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