Paris (AFP)
What better time than a fiftieth anniversary to treat yourself to the long-awaited European epic? Paris SG, unable to pass the round of knockout stages of the Champions League since 2016, hopes to break its curse thanks to Neymar, finally at 100% of its capacity.
The pattern was often repeated for PSG: almost perfect first round, attractive performances in the first leg, then "black out" inexplicable on the return. From the deadly 2017 "remount" against FC Barcelona (4-0 first leg win, 6-1 defeat back), to the improbable Manchester United comeback last year (2- win 0 on the outward journey, 3-1 defeat on the return), the Parisians continued the disillusions.
Each time without Neymar, recruited for a record amount of 222 million euros in 2017 but deprived of these decisive moments twice on injuries ...
What despair so much the millions of fans of the Parisian club around the world, always more numerous to be attracted by its glamorous and "lifestyle" positioning, than its Qatari owners, who have not spared resources since 2011 to offer a constellation of stars capable of winning the prestigious C1.
And yet, when they are celebrating their fiftieth birthday, supporters and observers want to believe that the time for the gift has finally arrived for 2020.
If the reasons for hope abound, Paris owes it as much to its first successful part of the season ("autumn champion" in Ligue 1, 1st in its group of Champions League in front of Real Madrid) than to the rise of his Brazilian N.10, alongside "crack" Kylian Mbappé.
- Neymar finally unifying -
Author of his best game of the season against Galatasaray (5-0) in early December, "Ney" demonstrated in the space of 90 minutes a summary of the qualities he could never bring in the decisive months of February-March : dazzling bullets at the service of the collective and unifying gestures to the detriment of his personal statistics.
The best example? This penalty offered to Edinson Cavani, the idol of supporters relegated to the bench and lacking confidence, to close the famous "penaltygate", source of tension between the two Parisian stars since 2017.
"It is a beautiful gesture on his part, I am very happy because I have always said it: he is a guy with the big heart", had greeted his trainer Thomas Tuchel. "The challenge is that he shows it to everyone. I hope it will be a symbol for the team and this season."
From actions to words, Neymar then confirmed his well-being found in the capital, four months after his failed transfer to Barça.
"Why do you want to leave here? I still have two years of contract, the team continues to progress. We have to stay focused on this season to do things well and win as many titles as possible," he said. he entrusted to the weekly France Football.
"This season, the goal is the Champions League," he insisted. "I'm going to give all my life on the field so that PSG triumph (...) I am convinced that we can manage to win it."
- "Everyone has learned" -
Provided you don't repeat the same mistakes. Nine months after the umpteenth disillusionment against Manchester, has the lesson really been learned?
"This year, I think everyone has learned a bit, we will try to apply this in the important moments to come," said Marquinhos in a recent interview with AFP.
Perhaps these painful experiences, these scars, can paradoxically help Thomas Tuchel's men to best prepare for their next knockout round against Borussia Dortmund (go February 18, return March 11).
"Here, we have a lot of pressure coming from outside, from the country, from the city. We have to be united, humble, calm. Even if we did good things at the start of the season, there We must not think that everything is perfect and that it will continue like this until the end, "warns the Parisian vice-captain.
"We must not enter a comfort zone, he warned. In training, in matches, you have to put yourself in a good mentality, fight from start to finish. It's really a question of preparation, of mind, on all levels. "
Fifty years is the age of maturity?
© 2019 AFP