PSG’s crucial Champions League game will define their season
Paris St Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani maybe went a little too far. “The game against Dortmund? Our lives are at stake,” he said afterwards The 2-1 win on Saturday against Nantes. He certainly didn’t mean it literally, but the basic idea is clear: Borussia Dortmund against PSG is huge for the Parisians.
Your finale Champions League Wednesday’s Group F game is the game that will define their season, which is saying something considering it’s the second week of December.
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PSG’s German opponents have already secured their place in the round of 16, but cannot guarantee that they will top the group. In the meantime, PSG needs a win to ensure they are finished; If they win away, they would finish first instead. A draw could be enough to progress to the knockout stages next February, but only if AC Milan win or draw Newcastle United; If they lose in Germany, PSG could still progress, but only if Newcastle ends in a draw with Milan. Any other combination of results would see PSG suffer an ignominious relegation from the league Europe League.
“It’s like a finale,” added Kolo Muani, who just celebrated his 25th birthday with a party in the French capital. There is no better belated gift for him and his teammates than a place in the next round. Despite the obvious importance of Wednesday’s game and the pressure that comes with it, the camp is pretty calm and collected. On Saturday, the players were clearly focused on Dortmund rather than focusing on Nantes, their opponents at the Parc des Princes. It was an inspiring performance and a victory – Muani scored the winner seven minutes from time in a game PSG had largely dominated – and they probably celebrated his birthday more than the victory over the Canaries.
Perhaps the only notable thing is the constant presence of Luis Campos in the squad. The PSG sporting director gave an interview before the game against Nantes to remind everyone that his team “is not afraid and that it is an exciting game”. He was in the tunnel at half-time to congratulate the players on their half-time lead, and he was there again after the win. He is always hands-on when it comes to his role, but has been even more visible in the team in recent days.
Wednesday’s game is also a huge event for Campos, because if this team didn’t make it to the round of 16, it would be their failure to share. PSG have done it every year since 2011/12 and if he wasn’t there he would be the first sporting director of the club’s Qatar era to oversee such an embarrassment. He wouldn’t be able to figure out a way out of it either; He built this team over the summer, adding players like Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte, Ousmane Dembele And Bradley Barcola with great effort. If they aren’t good enough to qualify, it would be his fault.
Luis Enrique would also bear responsibility if the worst case scenario occurred. In a group that didn’t seem that difficult for PSG at the time of the draw – given the varying domestic form of Newcastle, Dortmund and Milan this season – it would be a shame if coach Luis Enrique wasn’t there to get his team over this hurdle . There have been plenty of positives since he joined the club last summer and his team plays with a clear identity, but his tactics have been confusing at times. Take the 4-2-4 formation that failed at Newcastle, or holding Goncalo Ramos Was on the bench until the 85th minute in the second leg at home against the Magpies.
Despite the pressure, the Spaniard keeps a cool head; He shows no signs of nervousness or tension towards his players or staff. The 53-year-old has experience at the highest level and always has confidence in his abilities and his team, regardless of the opponent. On Sunday morning he went into training relaxed, laughed and joked with the players and switched to full preparation mode on Monday.
Luis Enrique spoke with us on Sunday Lee Kang In, who will replace Dembélé on the right wing against Dortmund. Dembélé’s suspension is a huge blow as a large part of PSG’s development depends on its partnership with Dembélé Achraf Hakimi. Many of the temporary circuits run through him, making him their primary creator. We saw it against Nantes when PSG woke up when he came on as a substitute with 25 minutes left. Before that, the pace and rhythm of each PSG attack was much slower. Lee is a different type of player to the France international he replaces. He doesn’t have the same pace but can make the difference with his dribbling precision and technical ability.
Another reason Luis Enrique may be quite relaxed at the moment is that he knows he can rely on him Marquinhos And Warren Zaire-Emery Midweek as both successfully returned from injury on Saturday. The Brazilian defender played 60 good minutes, while the Paris-born prodigy came on as a substitute in the final half hour and looked like he had never been in the squad before. Both will start in Germany and PSG will be the better team.
As Luis Enrique told his players: It’s time for PSG to become a real team and take control of its destiny. It’s all in Paris’s hands and they simply cannot afford to buckle under the pressure on Wednesday, as they have done in European election campaigns of the past. Just like Kolo Muani claimed, her life is at stake in the Champions League.
