Paris SG
Manchester City
During the draw, the Parisians undoubtedly looked at this penultimate match in the league phase as a great poster for jockeying for the top. But since then, both Paris and Manchester City have experienced the worst difficulties in assuming their status as a wealthy and ambitious club on the European scene.
PSG is in first eliminatory place, 25e out of 36, after burning out cartridges against PSV Eindhoven (1-1) and Atlético Madrid (2-1 defeat at the Parc on a last-second goal). As for Manchester City (22e), Pep Guardiola's well-oiled machine in recent seasons has seized up. The Citizens notably took an edifying defeat against Sporting Portugal (4-1) or even wasted a three-goal lead against Feyenoord at home (3-3)… But they have raised the bar since the start of the year with 20 goals in four matches, including a festival against Ipswich (6-0) in the championship.
A match of fear for both teams
“It’s a special match, I don’t think anyone could have predicted that City would have eight points and us seven but it’s the new competition format”estimated Luis Enrique this Tuesday.
A unique match also for the two Spanish coaches, who played together in Barcelona and share a playing philosophy, confided the Parisian coach: “It’s a great joy to find Pep again […]. What brings us together is our playing philosophy, being better than the opponent with the ball, pressing the opponent continuously. We are going to see a very nice football match. »
For PSG, it is both good news not to come up against the best of City, and bad: the duel should be all the more bitter as the two teams, separated by only one point, are playing their survival.
-Sans Kvaratskhelia
Paris reassured itself by obtaining the results it needed for several weeks, notably its 3-0 victory in Salzburg. But the manner continues to sow doubt about the real level of the team and its ability to kill matches. A week ago, PSG was held in check a few minutes before the final whistle by Espaly fans in the Coupe de France (final score 4-2). And the painful success in Lens on Saturday in Ligue 1 (2-1) owes a lot to the clumsiness of the Lensois.
Luis Enrique, who persists and signs without a professional center forward at kick-offs, will count on the rediscovered form of wingers Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola. Dembélé scored in the last four games he played before catching a virus which required him to rest. Barcola, for its part, ended a drought of twelve games without scoring against Espaly then Lens. To resolve its offensive timidity in C1 (six goals in six matches), PSG will not be able to rely on its recruit, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, made official on Friday, before the end of the first phase of the Champions League, by virtue of the UEFA rules.
This Wednesday, January 22 at 9 p.m., on Canal+.
