PSG – Atlético de Madrid: Marquinhos, the essential boss

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By: Manu Tournoux

“To impose so as not to have to impose, that’s what charisma consists of”. Indisputable holder and undisputed captain of Paris Saint-Germain, Marquinhos can boast of such an aura. Arriving in the French capital in the summer of 2013, the Brazilian international (93 caps, 7 goals) has, in fact, gradually established himself as an essential link in the Ile-de-France collective, now coached by Luis Enrique. Trained at Corinthians before crossing the Atlantic to join AS Roma and live his European dream, the native of São Paulo has built up a solid CV over the seasons. With the art of metamorphosis and not without difficulty, the 1m83 right-hander then went from the status of a promising defender to that of the essential captain of a club, today, considered one of the greatest in Europe .

Locker room leader, defense boss

As a good boatswain, the thirty-year-old ultimately continued to maintain the course of a Parisian ship, often carried by the peaceful waters of national sovereignty, sometimes buffeted by the impetuous winds of European evenings with a still bitter taste. . A valuable experience on which the reigning French champions will once again be able to rely, this Wednesday evening, when they host Atlético de Madrid for the fourth day of the Champions League. Already part of the club’s legend, the most capped player in the history of the Rouge et Bleu with 454 matches in all competitions – erasing from the shelves the previous record of Jean-Marc Pilorget (435) – should elsewhere take advantage of this European shock to pass another legendary milestone by playing his 200th match as captain of PSG (the 43rd time in the Champions League).

Aware of the importance of Auriverde, who is therefore preparing to experience an evening as decisive as it is symbolic, Luis Enrique was logically full of praise for his protégé during the traditional press conference before -match. “The numbers speak for themselves. It’s incredible for a coach to have a player like him. He is the leader of the team, and through his personality, he brings people together. We hope that he will remain at this level for many more years.”underlined, in this respect, the Asturian coach, totally seduced by the contribution of the Parisian number 5. It must also be said that the man who wore the captain’s armband of PSG for the first time on September 30, 2017 during a victory (6-2) against Bordeaux will have a leading role against the current 3rd in Liga, well decided to find the path to success in the competition after two consecutive losses.

Marquinhos gets everyone in agreement

“All the matches are difficult, Atlético is one of the best teams in the world. It’s a team recognized in Europe with a great coach who makes the matches very difficult (…) For tomorrow’s match, everyone is ready”warned, in this sense, the former coach of La Roja. Very rarely disappointing in recent times (11 matches in all competitions, 898 minutes of play since the start of the 2024-2025 financial year, 77.8% of successful tackles, 5 interceptions, 52 balls recovered, no individual error leading to the ‘an opponent), the Brazilian, with his experience, will, in fact, be expected at the turn to undermine Madrid’s attacks and bring serenity to his teammates. A point on which the main player concerned has been shining for several weeks and which is easily perceptible, particularly in his association with Willian Pacho, the other great satisfaction at the start of the season for the Parisians.

“Marqui is an incredible person, the way he trains. He helps us, helps me. He gave me a lot of confidence for my debut in Paris: the way he approaches matches, how he prepares, the way he covers spaces. He is a great professional, he has a lot of experience. I learn every day with him”confided the 23-year-old Ecuadorian about his defense friend. As a reminder, during “Marqui’s” 100th captaincy in the Parisian jersey, the Rouge et Bleu defeated Olympique de Marseille at the Vélodrome (3-0, February 26, 2023). There is no doubt, therefore, that for their boss’s 200th (137 victories in the first 199 matches as captain), Bradley Barcola’s teammates – 23rd in the ranking and under pressure before scrapping with the Colchoneros – will put their heart into it. work to achieve such an outcome and thus truly launch their Champions League campaign. Answer, at the Parc des Princes, from 9 p.m.

For this match, Parions Sport en Ligne doubles your first bet, up to €90 bonus and offers you €10 credit with the code FM10. A first Barcola goal against Atlético earns you up to €477.

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