Barcola, really not there anymore? – C1 – J7 – PSG-Manchester City

Two months can sometimes feel like an eternity. But after a difficult period, Bradley Barcola regained some of his splendor in the space of a few days. Passer then scorer at Espaly in the Cup on Wednesday then at Lens in the league on Saturday, the Parisian winger had not been decisive since a double at Angers on November 9. What is there to hope for in a three-way tie this Wednesday evening against Manchester City, in a third different competition? This would then be equivalent to doubling his – meager – statistics in a Champions League that he is struggling to tame, he who has not shaken the net since the round of 16 first leg against Real Sociedad almost a year ago (his only goal on the European scene to date).

C1 is (almost) nothing

Fluttering during the first three months of the season, the Parisian No. 29 has never managed to achieve this level of performance during the week. While he scored goals and exploits every weekend, the red and blue attack suffered a series of disappointments against Arsenal, PSV or Atlético de Madrid, only being saved against Girona by a blunder of Paulo Gazzaniga. But since November, there hasn't been much to eat for the man who returned his badge as the championship's top scorer. And a record in the Champions League which, for the moment, has nothing to do with being an offensive leader within an ambitious team in the competition (sixteen matches, one goal and one assist).

“There are moments like that. In life, we can not be well, it's not just footballhe confided after the qualification against Espaly in the Coupe de France. I'm going through moments that are a little more difficult than others, I'm trying to get back into it and think 100% about football and give my all to get back to that level. » These efforts therefore allowed him to find a smile again in Artois, notably with a decisive goal full of composure to snatch victory in the last minutes. « The truth is that he is a great player who has had more difficult matches. I'm happy for him, he will score even more goals.”whispered Fabián Ruiz, very happy to have before that taken advantage of the offering of his young comrade to equalize.

Find the power button

This clash at the top against Manchester City, on which the European future of his team will largely depend, would therefore be a chosen moment to bring his team to a very big meeting for the first time. Orphaned by Kylian Mbappé, PSG certainly chose to respond – at least on paper – with the collective, like Luis Enrique wanting to see several players achieve fifteen goals this season (a mission that Barcola is well on its way to achieving this, at least within French borders). But it is clear that it is above all the offensive sector which has caused the capital club to find itself on the brink of collapse two days before the end of the league phase. Six goals scored in six games and no decisive gesture from a player destined to become one of the offensive stars of the squad, the harvest is low.

After calling on numerous occasions not to put his player on a pedestal or to push his player down with each successful or failed outing, Enrique highlighted the positive on Saturday evening in the Bollaert bays. “Players are not machines, there is not a button to turn them on. You always have to give your best, and when they lack foresight, I always tell them to come and help in defense and participate in the efforts. We all have confidence in him, these goals will give him a little more confidence too, and he responds to this confidence with work. This is the best season of his career. » It would be time to see if it can really become exceptional, especially since the Citizens represent for the former Lyonnais one of the last possible prey in order to score points before the arrival of a certain Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and his… two goals in C1.

Paris SG – ManCity: come watch the match during a So Foot evening!