Paris (AFP)

After four months of absence and before the Champions League in August, Paris SG begins its commando summer with a friendly match in Le Havre (L2) Sunday (19:00), an event for French football with the return of the public, limited to 5,000 people.

Seen from afar, this is a preparation match like there are dozens during the summer, between a Ligue 2 team in the midst of a transfer window, and an elite team that seeks above all to avoid injury.

However, this opposition between Normans and Parisians will occupy a special place in the tormented book of the year 2020 of French football, whose pages from March to July were torn apart by the coronavirus pandemic which put all competitions to a halt .

For the first time in four months among the five "Big 5" countries (Spain, England, Germany, Italy, France), a meeting with an elite club will be contested in front of spectators. The gauge set by the French government, which applies from Saturday, in effect, authorizes some 5,000 people within the confines of the Océane stadium.

Without counting the supervision of each team, the employees in charge of security, the organization or the refreshment bar, and the journalists, that makes between 4,000 and 4,500 tickets available to spectators - who tore themselves up in ten minutes, according to the Le Havre club!

In the stands or on the edge of the lawn, everyone must comply with the health specifications. For the public, it is compulsory to wear a mask, in addition to social distancing and the direction of movement in the stadium to be respected.

- Three trophies in the viewfinder -

Behind the scenes, at the request of Parisian leaders, people who will rub shoulders with the same areas as the players will have to pass two Covid-19 screening tests, by swab and blood test.

"All eyes will be on Le Havre", smiles HAC coach Paul Le Guen, former player and technician of Paris SG, in an interview given to the club's website, before resuming: "Rather turned to PSG , we are not fooled. "

Because the champion club of France is preparing for its most exciting summer: with two finals to play (French and League Cups, July 24 and 31) and the final eight-match tournament of the Champions League in Lisbon, it can at best win three trophies, playing only five matches.

A huge challenge, but at the height of the means and the talent of this Parisian team which believes more than ever in its European chances, exhilarated by its victorious 8th final against Dortmund.

The draw on Friday reserved a table for him, with a quarter-final against Atalanta Bergamo before a half against Atlético de Madrid or Leipzig. But today, "it's Saint-Etienne (in the Coupe de France) above all", assures Thomas Tuchel, who must restart a machine stopped since March 11.

- Rotation to be expected -

The coach mainly fears injuries, which have not spared his group in recent months. After returning to the Camp des Loges on June 22, PSG resumed collective training ten days later.

"The most important thing is to stay together without major injuries, to find our rhythm. It is very complicated, we must remain very attentive to the health of the players," said the Swabian technician, who will benefit from two gallops of additional test against the Belgians of Waasland-Beveren on the 17th and the Scots of Celtic Glasgow on the 21st.

In Le Havre, it will rather be a question of letting Kylian Mbappé or Neymar stretch their legs, rather than seeing how Tuchel intends to compensate for the departures of Edinson Cavani and Thomas Meunier, who leave a void in attack and in defense.

"This match will especially be what PSG wants to do with it," says Le Guen, who has already planned to rotate his workforce. "I'm going to play two teams, 45 minutes each. Even if it's a gala match, we're going to use this match to have a great training session and gain strength." Paris, too, demands only that.

© 2020 AFP