Since the feat succeeded by Arsenal against Madrid, Parisian supporters have been watching the slightest London threat. And now a “invincible” alert: the major asset of Arteta will not come from the wings or the surface, but from the central round. Faced with Vitinha and others, this X factor could dictate the tempo and fracture the certainties of Luis Enrique.
Gilberto Silva, 2002 world champion, does not chew his words: “I think Declan is a massive weapon”he confides in Mirror. Already a double man of the match against Real, Rice has displayed a complete register: high recovery, projections, physical impact. Without Thomas Partey (suspended), English will bear the stability of the Gunners alone. “He improves his level with each meeting”, insists the Brazilian icon.
For Gilberto, “The environment is the key sector to support Saka and protect the defense”. Rice will have to contain the Ruiz-Vitinha-Neves circulation and muzzle the dropouts of Dembélé in false 9. His ability to win the second balloons and spring into the surface threatens a sometimes crumbly PSG on transitions. On two sleeves, this lock can weigh as much as a fire scorer.
Arsenal-PSG: the secret weapon that can lead to a revealed Paris!
Luis Enrique should bet on the mobility of Joao Neves and the reading of Ruiz to suffocate Rice; Vitinha will have to regain her aggressiveness. The technician knows that a poorly coordinated pressing would leave the English international dictating the pace. On the Ile -de -France side, the mission will be as tactical as they are mental: preventing Rice from “reigning” as in Bernabéu is the obligatory passage to the final.
Gilberto does not hide his optimism, but recalls that “everything will be played on the form of the day and the discipline”. Paris, traumatized by Dortmund last season, wants to believe in a reverse scenario. Neutralizing Rice would be a giant first step. Answer from 9 p.m.: Announced danger, antidote still to invent.
