Madrid (AFP)
Injuries, poor performance or simple choice of coaches ... The French internationals FC Barcelona and Bayern Munich, opposed Friday (19:00 GMT) in the Champions League quarterfinals, have had a mixed season. Can the "Final 8" in Lisbon restore color to these Blues?
- Dembélé and Umtiti, between the infirmary and the bench -
For Ousmane Dembélé and Samuel Umtiti, the season has only been a long tunnel of disappointments. "Dembouz" followed the heavy thigh injuries, which put him out of the squad throughout the season.
But after only 9 matches played this season in all competitions under the Blaugrana colors (including 5 as the holder), Dembélé is finally back for this final summer tournament in Lisbon. A nice joker for Quique Setién, who can count on the explosiveness of the frail 23-year-old French winger alongside the trio "MSG" (Messi-Suarez-Griezmann).
It remains to be seen what the Blaugrana technician's choices will be against Bayern. After relaunching central defender Samuel Umtiti for a small half-dozen matches just after his arrival on the Barça bench in January, the technician again preferred his compatriot Clément Lenglet, like Ernesto Valverde before him.
His future at Barça is clouded over: Umtiti has only played 14 matches as a starter this season, has also spent a lot of time in the infirmary, with regular knee problems, and will be absent from the group that will make the trip to Lisbon Thursday.
- Hernandez and Tolisso, blocked future -
Lucas Hernandez and Corentin Tolisso, Bayern's most expensive purchases at the time of their arrival (EUR 41.5m for Tolisso in 2017 and EUR 80m for Hernandez in 2019), never managed to win at the club.
"It doesn't smell very good for Lucas Hernandez," German specialist magazine Kicker said last week. "It is absolutely not certain to be still in Munich for the 2020-2021 season, as will his compatriot Corentin Tolisso," added the magazine.
Coming from Atlético Madrid, Hernandez made a mixed start to the season, before seriously injuring himself in October (internal ankle ligament). Returned to the group in February, he found the places in central defense taken by David Alaba, a side brilliantly converted into boss of the hinge, and Jérôme Boateng, who found his best level, at 31 years old. And the situation has not changed after confinement and the resumption of the Bundesliga in May.
Same concern for Tolisso. His serious injury in September 2018 caused him to miss an entire season, and he has not regained his level in 2019-2020, with only 13 appearances (7 starts) in the German Championship.
In midfield, he is helmed by German internationals Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka, who form a close-knit pair and seem programmed for a very long career at Bayern. Enough to fuel speculation on the departure desires of the former Lyonnais.
- Griezmann and Lenglet, a status to assume -
2018 world champion, Antoine Griezmann was THE big recruit for Barça in the summer of 2019. But the French striker recruited from Atlético for EUR 120 million was disappointing.
Neither Valverde nor Setién were able to find a satisfactory place for him alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, so much so that "Grizi" appears unhappy, isolated and lonely in the Barcelona attack. Will he finally be able to give his full potential to Lisbon?
Clément Lenglet, for his part, was the most successful Frenchman in Catalonia this year: indisputable holder in central hinge with Gerard Piqué, Lenglet (4 caps) was present in important moments, such as for the opening of the scoring in the knockout round of the Champions League against Naples on Saturday (3-1), which propelled the Barcelona to Lisbon.
- Pavard and Coman, on the relaunch -
After a ligament rupture in 2018, and after considering the idea of stopping his career, Coman (24) was to form this season with Gnabry the duo of winger supposed to replace the legendary duo Rib-Rob (Franck Ribéry, Arjen Robben ).
But the arrival of the wisp Leroy Sané, German international transferred from Manchester City, changes the situation and blocks his horizon ...
Benjamin Pavard, finally, is the Frenchman from Bayern who has done the best.
Undisputed holder all season, he still has room for improvement in the offensive field. And the German press has long speculated on the acquisition by Bayern of another right-back to double the post.
© 2020 AFP