Beaten at home in added time by Atlético Madrid (2-1), PSG, still too ineffective in front of goal, is now under pressure in the Champions League before meeting Bayern Munich and Manchester City.
Faced with the well-established Madrid block, Parisian possession was once again sterile because Paris failed to take advantage of its strong moments and poorly managed its weak moments.
By bypassing the double defensive line of the Colchoneros, organized in 4-4-2, and centering on no one because there is still no N.9 at PSG, the Parisians conceded another defeat after that against Arsenal (2-0). Having possession (70%), trying numerous times without being dangerous, they are frustrated and in a complicated position.
In four days, Paris will have won only once against Girona (1-0). As a result, Luis Enrique’s players are still stuck in the second part of the table, in 25th place, far from the top 8 synonymous with direct qualification for the round of 16 at the end of the eight matches of this new format in the rankings. unique. The mission of securing the places numbered 9 to 24, synonymous with the round-trip play-off for accession to the round of 16, now seems the most likely even if it is complicated in view of the next meetings: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Salzburg and Stuttgart.
Counter lightning
Like last year at the same time during the group stage, PSG finds itself under pressure because its qualification is not at all assured. And this is incomprehensible as Paris has created the opportunities but still struggles to make them happen: Hakimi (2nd, 10th, 77th), Dembélé (5th, 6th, 54th), Barcola (13th, 58th, 64th), Asensio (30th, 40th), Marquinhos (73rd). Either they aim at the goalkeeper or they don’t hit the target.
The refrain will continue and become more pronounced: Paris is too strong for Ligue 1 and seems too weak for the Champions League. In the premier competition this season, no attacker has yet scored: Wednesday evening at the Parc des Princes, which was draped in a huge tifo in support of Gaza, it was French midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery who showed the example by scoring with coolness, served by Ousmane Dembélé (14th) who put good pressure on Clément Lenglet.
Unlike the locals and accustomed to the Champions League and with a higher average age, Atlético demonstrated success and great efficiency by equalizing very quickly on successive errors from the Parisian defense (1-1 , 18th). Established after being replaced this weekend against Lens, Gianluigi Donnarumma was unable to do anything on Nahuel Molina’s half-volley. At the very end of the match, while Paris was camped in the Spanish area, Angel Correa completed a lightning counterattack (90+3).
Very little solicited, the PSG defense cracked on two of the only opportunities for Madrid, who were lucky: this nevertheless shows the defensive weaknesses in the image of Nuno Mendes, who chained the swings in concentration.
After having conceded eight goals before coming to Paris (notably 3 against Lille), the Spanish club, well in place, was therefore helped by the clumsiness of PSG. The two prolific strikers in Ligue 1, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé have still not scored in the Champions League this season, under the eyes of injured center forward Gonçalo Ramos, present in the stands just like the former Parisian midfielder Marco Verratti.
At home, PSG have only won one of their last five home games in this competition (1 draw, 3 defeats), it was in September against Girona (1-0). Paris once again seemed helpless in front of the goal, where Lille had easily scored three.
The Parisian club stagnates at four points after four days, in the red zone of teams potentially eliminated from the league phase. Warren Zaire-Emery quickly opened the scoring (14th), taking advantage of a defensive hesitation on the part of the Spaniards. But Nahuel Molina equalized four minutes later, and Angel Correa gave the Colchoneros victory in the third minute of added time.
Champions League PSG Atletico
