A decisive shock for the future of Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League. This is the upcoming program for Luis Enrique’s men, opposed to Newcastle, Tuesday evening, as part of the 5th day of group F. Second in the group, one point behind Borussia Dortmund, the capital club – swept away (1 -4) at St. James’ Park last October – will, in fact, have no room for error against the Magpies. Under pressure after their defeat (1-2) in Milan, the Parisians, despite everything, kept their destiny in hand and, moreover, came out of a real recital (5-2) against AS Monaco. A summit meeting allowing us to confirm, if necessary, the offensive strike force of the Rouge et Bleu. Carried by a Kylian MbappĂ©, captain and remarkable, an Ousmane DembĂ©lĂ©, increasingly impactful, and a Gonçalo Ramos, author of one of his finest performances since his arrival, PSG left no chance to the Asemists. Or almost.
Imperial in attack (34 goals scored in Ligue 1, 7 in the Champions League), the Ile-de-France club has, in fact, once again shown some weaknesses on the defensive level. A bad habit adopted by the reigning French champions, especially during major events. Friday evening, at the Parc des Princes and at a time when Luis Enrique decided to line up an unprecedented defense in the absence of Marquinhos, affected and already forfeited against the English, PSG was thus guilty of some shifts in concentration. Without consequences on the final result, the (new) blunder of Gianluigi Donnarumma, decidedly very fragile in his kicking game, escaped no one’s notice. Nor are Parisian difficulties in containing certain Monegasque breakthroughs. So yes, this unique rearguard composed of Achraf Hakimi, Milan Skriniar, Lucas Hernandez, placed back in the axis, and Nordi Mukiele has generally reassured and should, without too much surprise, be renewed against the Magpies. However, the two new goals conceded against the Principality club raise a question. Does this defense really hold up?
A double-speed defense
A legitimate question given the goals conceded by PSG in major events. If Manuel Ugarte’s teammates display great solidity against the so-called weaker teams, they, on the other hand, tend to give up against the biggest names. In the figures, the current leader of L1 thus conceded 3 goals against OGC Nice, during the 5th day, 4 against Newcastle, 2 against Milan and therefore 2 others against the Rocher club, at the end of last week . 11 goals in 4 matches, a high ratio and inevitably problematic before returning to the Magpies. A fragility mainly explained by the quality of the opponent but symbolizing, here too, the progress that Luis Enrique’s men can still make. “For us coaches, it’s difficult to see the goals conceded. But the most important thing is to see the reaction of my team after the break. It was a match worth watching and what I like most is the result.admitted, as such, the 53-year-old Spaniard after the success against the Monegasques.
From Gianluigi Donnarumma, guilty of certain approximate restarts, to Milan Skriniar, not always reassuring in his positioning and ball handling, via Marquinhos, sometimes caught up in the challenge, PSG struggles to raise the cursor in this sector of the game , especially in major events. A lack of rigor placing, today, PSG in a delicate position on the European scene but of which Luis Enrique is well and truly aware of his unalterable demands. “Since the start of the season, I have seen an attitude from my players who want to assimilate what is offered to them. From then on, it’s very easy. For me, when I analyze each match, I focus on what we need to improve. It’s my fault or my quality. When we are lucky enough to have such a squad, it would be stupid to think that the players cannot give more in each match., launched the former coach of La Roja with this in mind, a few minutes after his team’s resounding victory against ASM. All this, before taking up the defense of his goalkeeper.
“Football is a sport made of mistakes. The problem is that when it’s a striker or a midfielder it’s not serious, when it’s a goalkeeper it’s much more visible. The most important thing for me is that my players achieve on the pitch what I ask of them. Gigio was superb. He got up after a mistake. I make mistakes in every match. I am delighted with his performance”. If the person concerned will necessarily appreciate the encouragement of his coach, there is no doubt that the latter is still working on the perfect balance of his team with one idea in mind: to maintain this frightening offensive power while perfectly protecting his rear during the biggest shocks. An ambitious but essential challenge for a team destined to win everything, whether on the national scene or on a European scale. At the Parc des Princes, Tuesday evening, the Parisian defense will have to show authority in any case to counter the Magpies, renowned for their offensive power and coming off a convincing success against Chelsea (4-1), the Last weekend. As a last resort, PSG can always rely on its fiery attack…
