Peter Schmeichel claims PSG won't win the Champions League this year because of its defense

Peter Schmeichel has sensationally claimed that Paris Saint-Germain won't win the Champions League this year because of the lack of defending from the team's expensive front three and the lack of protection they provide without the ball.

PSG's Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe both scored twice with Neymar also on target as the French club's fearsome attack tore apart Maccabi Haifa in a 7-2 win to send them into the last 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday.

The irrepressible trio were too much for Maccabi to handle although the Israeli side showed plenty of spirit in the Group H clash with Abdoulaye Seck scoring twice.

However, Schmeichel, the legendary Manchester United goalie who won Europe's most elite competition in the 1998-99 campaign, wasn't impressed with the French side's attacking front three throughout the game.

'When you talk about them winning the Champions League, I think the problem they have also showed today. So, when they're 4-0 up, all of a sudden, it's 4-2. They need to score a lot of goals to win games and it's not always going to happen,' the Dane said postgame on CBS Sports, live from New York.

'I think they're terrible at defending and that's also because of the three front players,' he added, obviously referring to Messi, Mbappe and Neymar.

The 58-year-old stressed that the French Champions would stutter against one of the current, greatest sides in Europe due to the lack of reinforcements to protect their goal when they'll at time be on the back foot.

'When you are at the stadium, and you see how little they take part in defending,' Schmeichel said. 'Everybody else, Bayern Munich, Man City - all of those teams - it's 11 players attacking, it's 11 players defending, and I think in modern day football that's what you need.'

'And that I could see could be problem in one game against Man City and one game against Real Madrid. That's enough to get knocked out.'

The Euro 1992 winner, however, did concede that most side 'can't defend' when these when 'these three guys are a threat - Mbappe, Neymar and this fella here, Messi.'

'When they play like that, there are no answers,' he added.

PSG's romp means with one game remaining against already-eliminated Juventus they top the standings on goal difference from Benfica with 11 points.

Despite their heavy defeat, Maccabi remain level on three points with Juve and will go into their last game at home against Benfica still hopeful of sealing a Europa League spot.