Paris Saint-Germain were stunned by FC Nantes on Saturday, les Canaris running out 3-1 winners at the Stade de la Beaujoire, but coach Mauricio Pochettino refused to make excuses.
Nantes played their best game of the season on Saturday, with Randal Kolo Muani, Quentin Merlin and Ludovic Blas scoring three first-half goals, drowning out Neymar Jr.'s strike early in the second half.
Neymar also had a penalty saved by Alban Lafont soon after - the former France youth international making a total of nine stops in a superlative performance - and unlike Leonardo and Marco Verratti, Pochettino took the defeat on the chin.
"We had our first attack through Juan Bernat but they scored on the very next action," he explained. "We then conceded twice in first-half injury-time. We did some very good things in attack, but we didn't control the defensive transitions against Nantes' fast players. There were a lot of mistakes.
"You have to separate things. We didn't lose the game because of the referee. I can understand the frustration of my players and sporting director. You'd have to review the game but that doesn't mean it's why we lost."
Nantes coach Antoine Kombouaré, who scouted Pochettino when the Argentine signed for PSG as a defender back in 2001, could barely contain his delight.
"This was the first time we've beaten a team in the top five," he said. There was no better time to do it, against a PSG side who had just beaten Real Madrid, and who had three stars on the pitch in Mbappé, Messi and Neymar. We struck a blow, and it was a team effort!
"We were super-efficient from the start. I think our first two shots on target went in, and PSG came up against Alban Lafont, who was huge. We were surprised to lead PSG 3-0 at half-time. The players did this and I want to congratulate them. The believed and they pulled it off.
