Paris Saint-Germain manager Mauricio Pochettino has pinpointed Idrissa Gueye’s red card as one of the reasons why his side lost to Manchester City in the first leg semi-final in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Parisians surrendered a one-goal lead to lose 2-1 at Parc des Princes, with Algeria international Riyad Mahrez scoring the match-winner after Marquinhos’ effort was cancelled out by Kevin De Bruyne.
PSG's effort to come back into the game suffered a big blow when Senegal international Gueye was shown a straight red card.
The 31-year-old midfielder tackled Ilkay Gundogan from behind and was subsequently sent off in the encounter.
Pochettino has revealed how the red card and the goals affected his side and hopes they will raise their game to overturn the defeat and nick a place in the final of the European competition.
"First we will insist on what we did well in the first leg and especially the first half when we were superior to City,” Pochettino said in a pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's Ligue clash against Lens.
“The two goals hurt us, just like the red card of Gueye. The team remained strong against a good City team.
“In terms of tactics, we will have to be ready to fight and then we will see if we deserve to go to the final or not."
Gueye teamed up with the Parisians in the summer of 2019 after ending his three-year stay with Premier League club Everton, where he made an indelible mark.
He was a defensive rock for the Goodison Park outfit during his time at the club, where he consistently emerged as one of the best tacklers in the English top-flight.
The midfielder has since made more than 55 appearances across all competitions since his arrival at Parc des Princes.
In the current campaign, he has featured in 39 games across all competitions, including 10 in the Champions League, scoring two goals and providing one assist.
The midfielder will hope to help PSG return to winning ways when they take on Lens at home in their next league game on May 1.
Gueye remains a key member of the Senegal national team and helped the West African country to finish second in the last edition of the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.