DECRYPTION – Still looking for a first victory in C1, Paris-SG faces Real Madrid this Tuesday, in the round of 16 of C1. Maximum pressure.
After Real Madrid, the deluge? Like every year at the same time, the Paris Saint-Germain season is about to take a whole new turn, with the return of the Champions League. Season which is necessarily punctuated by this Cup with big ears which has made Doha and all the Parisian people fantasize since the takeover of the club by QSI in 2011. Second in their group behind Manchester City, Marquinhos and company have inherited Casa Blanca, 13 times winner of the event, from the 8th. First leg this Tuesday (9 p.m., on RMC Sport 1 and Canal+) at the park. Back on March 9.
«I would have liked to meet another club“, recognized Sergio Ramos after the draw. Teasingly, the football gods heard him… and stuck him in the infirmary. The former captain of Real, however, is the only absentee in the Parisian ranks, even if the recent African champions Gana Gueye and Abdou Diallo are not “unable to start“, as Mauricio Pochettino pointed out. Even Neymar, out since the end of November is operational. “He will give 100% if he comes into play», Guess «Marqui». The planets therefore seem to be aligning at the right time for PSG, more than ever under pressure in C1 after 11 years of waiting and an XXL transfer window last summer. “Sometimes there are inflated expectations when they do not take into account the context and create confusion. This may have been the case since last summer… But all the components of the club live in reality“, slips “Poche”, promising that “his” Paris will respond present.
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Tense climate with supporters
It would be better: an elimination from the 8th would undoubtedly have the effect of a bomb in Qatar, at the Factory and of course among the supporters, “who no longer recognizetheir club and have already expressed their anger on Friday, during the sad victory against Rennes (1-0). Pochettino has already called for calm and “l’union“sacred. Marquinhos followed suit on Monday. “We’re not in the worst possible situation“, began by indicating the Brazilian, stressing that Paris-SG sails at the head of Ligue 1 and is obviously still in contention in C1, even if there was the exit from the track in the Coupe de France against Nice ( 0-0, 5-6 tabs). “It’s time to be united“, he still assures, he who was cited as an example by the Collectif Ultras Paris.
He is the only one… Everyone took for his rank in the CUP messages, especially Leonardo, who could well be the first to “jump” if the “PSG All Star” of Leo Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé had to bite the dust. He wouldn’t be the only one. We imagine that Pochettino would quickly take the door too. What about Kylian Mbappé, if he still has to see him stay? The workforce could also be turned upside down if necessary, even if Doha will aim above all to have the maximum number of stars concerned by the 2022 World Cup on its soil under the Parisian colors by next winter…
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One thing is certain: winning is not an option for this PSG, it is an obligation. “Both have to lose… But Real have lost Cristiano Ronaldo or Raphaël Varane in recent years, Zinédine Zidane too, and are in a reconstruction phase. With its summer transfer window and the arrival of Messi, Donnarumma and others to make noise and strengthen their ambitions in C1, Paris has more to lose today“Judges the former Swiss international Johan Djourou, consultant RMC Sport. And the former Arsenal defender immediately clarified: “But Real, this monumental club, also has a lot to lose because they are used to winning…A lot, but maybe a little less for once. “The loser has a lot to lose, especially if it’s Paris“Summarizes the sports geopolitics specialist, Jean-Baptiste Guégan, whom we interviewed to decipher this double confrontation which goes far beyond football.
Better in Paris
Good news for Paris? There has been better on the physical level in recent weeks, but also in terms of defense, involvement, even if the building remains more than fragile … Only two goals conceded in seven matches in 2022. “Fundamentalfor Mauricio Pochettino, who has not yet (yet?) found the formula to give his team a clear playing identity. “It’s difficult because they play teams that are waiting, with a low block. You have to be patient“, tempers Benzema, who expects to face a “very big team” who knows “get to the topwhen it’s time for the Champions League.
Enough to touch the stars? “When you look at the last winners in C1, Liverpool, Bayern and Chelsea, these are teams where everyone works defensively. Pressing, counter-pressing, team block… They are steamrollers. Paris doesn’t have that. So I find it difficult to put PSG in the same category today… There is an improvement in terms of defensive solidity, but there are three players, Messi, Neymar and Mbappé, who are trying less … You have to find a solidity starting from the front. Otherwise, there will always be a lag“recalls Johan Djourou.
Heating blue
Ask the Parisian superstars to put their ego aside and put on the overalls. Success is at this price, even if the collection of talents available to PSG can make it possible to overcome a certain number of rules. Stars who are more led by the Mbappé-Verratti-Marquinhos trio, still there at the moment, than by this famous “MNM”. With in any case a wall in the goals, whether it is Gianluigi Donnarumma or Keylor Navas. Pochettino did not reveal his intentions in this regard on Monday.
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«I don’t think there is more pressure on one side than the other. We respect Real, one of the biggest clubs in the world. I don’t think there is a favorite“Notes the 49-year-old Parisian coach, noting that this poster would not look out of place in the Champions League final, as Carlo Ancelotti did by the way. “The club strengthened last summer to allow us to get closer to this dream of winning the Champions League. I have confidence in my players, my team, our supporters“Launches Pochettino before the moment of truth.
