Leipzig (Germany) (AFP)

Without Neymar or Kylian Mbappé, Paris SG finds RB Leipzig, which he struck down in the Champions League semi-final two months ago, for an electric revenge and already crucial for the eighth, Wednesday in Germany (9 p.m. ).

Since its great success against the Saxons (3-0) in Lisbon on August 18, PSG has known everything, from the intoxication of a first final of C1 lost against Bayern Munich (1-0) to the beginnings of the crisis, against the backdrop of tensions between coach Thomas Tuchel and sporting director Leonardo.

Today, the Parisian ship crosses the gang's route at Julian Nagelsmann to see if, in 78 days, it has still moved forward, despite the tide of injuries, suspensions and cases of Covid-19, which made it pitch.

Certainly, the forfeit of his two best attackers, Neymar (adductors) and Mbappé (ischios), reduces the test value of this perilous move.

But this is to forget that PSG had launched its historic 2019-2020 campaign with a show of force against Real Madrid (3-0) in groups, without the two acolytes, during an evening where Idrissa Gueye and Angel di Maria, well present in Germany, had shone.

The stake forces the players to sublimate: after an inaugural defeat against Manchester United (2-1) on October 20, Paris no longer has too much room for error in view of the qualification for the 8th, he who dreams to relive an epic like that of Lisbon.

- Parisian reed -

The two confrontations against Leipzig, with the return on November 24 to the Parc des Princes, will be crucial, especially as the other ticket for the final phase seems promised to the "Red Devils", who crushed the Germans last week ( 5-0).

"I see these two matches against Paris as a knockout duel. It is for us to take as much as possible four points to keep our destiny in our hands in this group," RBL coach Julian Nagelsmann summed up Tuesday. .

In a closed-door stadium, where Lyon came to win last year (2-0), the leader of L1 leaves on a mission with a team reworked from the one that triumphed in Lisbon, in addition to doubts about his level of play that he has been dragging since the resumption.

His last two victories, in Istanbul against Basaksehir (2-0) then in Nantes (3-0), testify both to the difficulties in the animation of the Parisians, but also to their resilience to always end up winning, in part thanks to their individual talents.

Double decisive passer in Turkey, then scorer in Loire-Atlantique, Kylian Mbappé embodied the vigor of the Parisian reed which bent without breaking.

But his hamstring discomfort, contracted on Saturday, deprived him of the trip to Germany at the last minute.

- "growing together" -

Without him, neither Neymar, nor Juan Bernat (injured), nor Thiago Silva (gone to Chelsea), it is four holders of the semi-final who are missing for the revenge - not to mention the state of form physique of Leandro Paredes and Thilo Kehrer, who have just returned from injuries and should start on the bench on Wednesday.

By adding the absences of Marco Verratti, Mauro Icardi and Julian Draxler, it is without fanfare that PSG goes to the city of Jean-Sébastien Bach and Richard Wagner.

Paris is preparing "to suffer", conceded Tuchel, aware that it will be necessary "to accept" to defend lower, or to know times of weakness, vis-a-vis a "team which will play more freely" than in Portugal.

"We have to grow together in this situation," he said.

"The key is to find a good structure. It's important to keep a very strong, very tight team. We all have to help each other to win, we don't come here thinking that we would be happy with a zero, "added defender Thilo Kehrer.

At the head of a revengeful team, especially after the slap he received at Old Trafford, Nagelsmann also emphasized character: "The lessons we learned from our loss in the half are not necessarily of a tactical nature, c it is also an attitude in duels, a conviction. We do not have to hide. "

There is electricity in the air.

© 2020 AFP