Topics: Paris Saint-Germain, Champions League, Achraf Hakimi
Paris Saint Germain star Achraf Hakimi was booed by fans of Israeli side Maccabi Haifa during Wednesday night’s Champions League clash.
The right back was subbed on in the 83rd minute and the home fans booed him as he has been vocal about Palestinian rights in the past.
Hakimi responded to the booing by appearing to touch his ears.
The 23-year-old showed his support on social media last year when the Israeli government evicted residents of the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood, Hakimi tweeted a video with a caption that read: “#FreePalestine”.
This was not the first time Hakimi has received a hostile reception from Israeli fans. When PSG took on FC Nantes earlier in the year for the Trophee des Champions in Tel Aviv, Israel, Hakimi was booed and jeered by the crowd when he touched the ball. You can watch the footage below.
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Maccabi Haifa were hoping to cause a monumental upset against one of the favourites for the Champions League, and they found themselves ahead after 24 minutes as midfielder Tjaronn Chery volleyed home to give his side a 1-0 side.
The goal seemed to shake up PSG and their star players as Lionel Messi equalised for the Parisians in the 37th minute.
In the second half PSG were the much better side and they took the lead in the 69th minute.
Messi produced a wonderful pass to set Kylian Mbappe away on the left hand side. The French international expertly finished off the move to make it 2-1.
All three points were then secured in the 88th minute after Neymar scored to make it 3-1 to the French champions.
The win preserved Christophe Galtier's side's 100% record in the Champions League, after their 2-1 win over Juventus in the opener last week.
After the match, Galtier described his team’s first half showing as ‘average’.
He told RMC Sport 1: “The opponents are always of very good quality in the Champions League. We had to react after the first period which was average, especially on a tactical level.
“We were cut open, our team block was low and Maccabi pushed high. From the moment the front three went down to get back in the block, we were better.”
Galtier added: “It was not a question of lack of effort, but a question of poor analysis of the pressure between our midfielders and our attacking trio.”
Next up for PSG is a Ligue 1 clash against Lyon.
