Seeing PSG pay more than €60 million for a solid Ukrainian player playing in Bournemouth, many did not think much of Marquinhos in the medium term. The aging Brazilian would kindly give way to his announced successor. Result a little over a year later, the PSG captain is still indispensable and every PSG supporter trembles when seeing Zabarnyi starting on a match night, regardless of the opponent.
Wednesday evening, facing weak opposition, that of Slovan Bratislava, the Ukrainian defender once again managed to stand out in the worst possible way. By being dropped, almost like a cadet, by Camara, author of the only Slovak goal of the game. There is no glaring error from Zabarnyi, just the expression of a defender who is more limited than we thought. His heavy gestures and his slow turning around make him a victim of choice for any aggressive attacker.
PSG lacks solutions in this position
And if we look back at his performances in his first season at PSG, we find this kind of action in abundance. Zabarnyi obviously has qualities in the duel and in the aerial game, but he suffers too much in one-on-one situations against fast players and has difficulty managing depth, which is crucial in the Parisian game as the defense plays high up on the pitch. Rated 3 by French Football Weekly, The Team And The Parisian for his performance yesterday, he is often condemned for an action which reveals the same deficiencies.
Consequently, PSG is reduced to hoping that its captain Marquinhos, aged 32, is fit for the major meetings of the season. Which still represents a major risk, which Luis Enrique was able to handle last season. Clearly, PSG’s opponents have targeted the weak point of the Parisian defense and know how to exploit it. Zabarnyi will have to succeed in erasing his recurring errors, otherwise he will see a direct competitor arrive faster than expected.
