Football
Jonathan Johnson, PSG correspondent 7y

PSG's Adrien Rabiot will be one of the world's top midfielders - Marco Verratti

Paris Saint-Germain's Marco Verratti thinks teammate Adrien Rabiot "will be one of the best midfielders in the world" in years to come.

The French giants beat Basel 3-0 in the Champions League on Wednesday to take a big step towards qualifying for the knockout stage.

Although Angel Di Maria, Lucas Moura and Edinson Cavani got the goals, it was Rabiot who earned the most praise after another mature performance.

Speaking with journalists in the mixed zone after the match, Verratti hailed the Frenchman's "great experience" and was also in awe of his movement.

"He runs with an ease I have never seen in another player," the Italy international said. "By the end, he was still sprinting and I was just watching. I was tired.

"Technically and tactically, he is very strong. In the future, he will be one of the best midfielders in the world."

PSG chairman and CEO Nasser Al Khelaifi was similarly full of praise for Rabiot after the final whistle. The Qatari revealed his delight at the youth academy graduate's consistency, while also reiterating his "faith" in the youngster.

"He had a great match," Al-Khelaifi told journalists. "He was one of our best. We are very happy with his level of performance right now. He works well for the team.

"He possesses so much quality. In terms of our project, I have a lot of faith in him."

Rabiot has shone under new coach Unai Emery so far and the 21-year-old came into the midfield to replace the injured Thiago Motta against Basel.

After initially trying Verratti in the deep-lying defensive role usually occupied by his compatriot, the Spaniard switched to Rabiot instead and the midfield was immediately more balanced.

France coach Didier Deschamps is expected to include Les Parisiens' No. 25 in his next squad for the Sweden and Ivory Coast fixtures in November.

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