On the verge of an infamous elimination in the Champions League, Paris SG hosts Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City on Wednesday at the Parc des Princes (9:00 p.m.) for a prestigious and capital duel for both teams.
During the draw, coach Luis Enrique and his troops undoubtedly looked at this penultimate match of the league phase, before the trip to Stuttgart seven days later, as a great poster for jockeying for the top.
But since then, both Paris and City have experienced the worst difficulties in assuming their status as a wealthy and ambitious club on the European scene. The first is in first qualifying place, 25th out of 36 (seven points), after having burned cartridges against PSV Eindhoven (1-1) and Atlético Madrid (2-1 defeat at the Parc on a last second goal) .
As for Manchester City (22nd), Guardiola’s well-oiled machine in recent seasons has stalled, with a fifth place in the Premier League and a 22nd place in the Champions League.
The “Citizens” took an edifying defeat against Sporting Portugal (4-1), wasted a three-goal lead against Feyenoord at home (3-3) and were soundly defeated by Juventus (2-0). 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.
“Game Philosophy”
“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 on 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 philosophy of play, to be better than the opponent with the ball, to continually press the opponent. We are going to see a very good 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. “I would like to play the Champions League in February,” said French international Ousmane Dembélé in reference to the round-trip play-off if PSG gets out of the rut.
After its bad patch in C1, Paris reassured itself by collecting the results it needed for several weeks (victory in Salzburg 3-0, qualification for the quarter-final of the Coupe de France, victories in the championship).
-“Kvara” not there
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 Cup (final score 4-2). And the painful success in Lens on Saturday in Ligue 1 owes a lot to the clumsiness of the Lensois (2-1).
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 matches he played before catching a virus which required him to rest. Barcola, for its part, ended a drought of 12 matches 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.
Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City PSG Champions League
