Paris (AFP)

An isolated coach, repeated individual errors, too penalizing injuries ... Beaten in Leipzig on Wednesday (2-1), Paris SG replayed the film of its failings, which has been running since the start of the school year.

At the risk of experiencing an end disaster in the Champions League.

- Absences that do not explain everything -

It's no secret that PSG is betting a lot on its duo Kylian Mbappé - Neymar, bought 400 million euros in 2017, to hang on to his dream of winning the C1.

Unsurprisingly, it's no longer the same team when both superstars are injured.

But the scenario of Wednesday's defeat in Leipzig suggests that it is not explained only by the full infirmary, where Marco Verratti, Mauro Icardi and Julian Draxler also point.

Paris had a good start, relying on aggressive pressing, and if Angel di Maria, precocious scorer (6th), had then transformed his penalty (15th), his team would have returned to the locker room with one or two goals from advanced.

Criticized for his lack of "spirit" and background since the start of the school year, the outgoing finalist managed "his most intense half hour of the season," noted the daily Le Parisien.

But the equalizer of the former Parisian Christopher Nkunku (41st) plunged the ambitions of PSG into an early night, like a winter evening in ex-East Germany.

Individual errors followed one after another: poor placement of Marquinhos on 1-1, Presnel Kimpembe's hand for the 2-1 penalty, nerves that gave way for Idrissa Gueye and Kimpembe, who were excluded.

All, while Leipzig took the physical upper hand over Paris, whose excuse of truncated preparation no longer holds: the RBL also played the "Final 8" of C1 this summer ...

From the penalty conceded against Manchester United on October 20 (2-1 loss) at the start of the general fight against Marseille on September 13 (1-0 loss), Paris shows that it has not evolved, for the worse.

- Tuchel leaves doubtful -

"It was played on details," said coach Thomas Tuchel.

But he too has his share of responsibilities.

His choice to switch positions between Danilo and Marquinhos is still doubtful.

"It does not work at this level," ruled the daily L'Equipe.

"Defender, this is not my job. Me, I am a midfielder", dropped the Portuguese late in the evening at the microphone of Téléfoot.

This question crystallizes the criticisms around Tuchel, an increasingly isolated technician.

The man in the first PSG C1 final became the first to lose two group matches in the QSI era.

The ex-Dortmund helped focus the debate on him, expressing doubts about his future on German television on Tuesday.

"We must not dream," he said, explaining that no discussion was underway to extend his contract expiring next summer.

The sports director Leonardo, who does not support him, and Tuchel seem irreconcilable.

But a dismissal, a solution requested by supporters on social networks, would cost between 10 and 15 million euros, according to L'Equipe, to a club already limited by the economic crisis linked to Covid-19.

"You have to accept the criticisms. For me, they don't exist," Tuchel reacted on Wednesday.

"I don't feel weakened."

"If things are not going, it is not the fault of the coach. It is the coach who made the best season in the history of PSG and from the following season we are talking about his future", l 'defended Marquinhos on RMC Sport.

- The end of all dangers -

The busy schedule does not leave PSG time to conduct too long an introspection: the shock against Rennes looms on Saturday in L1, before the two-week international break.

The return leg against Leipzig on November 24 will be decisive.

To qualify, Paris needs nine out of nine points.

"Every game will be like a final for us," said Marquinhos.

Neymar, Mbappé, Verratti, Icardi and Draxler are all expected for the rematch.

But before, the international truce should reserve some tensions with the selections, in particular around the cases of "Ney" and "Kyky" that Tuchel would like to preserve.

An already well-known tune ...

© 2020 AFP