"Three finals".
This is how PSG captain Marquinhos described the three return matches of the Champions League group stage.
At the foot of the wall after their setbacks against Manchester United (1-2) and Leipzig (2-1), the Parisians are obliged to win Tuesday, November 24 against RB Leipzig.
The round of 16, reserved for the first two of the group, will become almost inaccessible in the event of a defeat either against the Germans, or at Old Trafford in a week, or again against the Turks of Basaksehir on December 8.
An elimination at this stage is unimaginable for the outgoing finalist, one of the biggest budgets on the continent who has always been able to avoid this trap since the arrival of its current Qatari owner in 2011. A defeat could also spell the end for Thomas Tuchel .
Imperative victory
This is not the kind of double-ended game that PSG wanted to play this season.
After the final lost to Bayern (1-0) in August, the club promised to replay another as soon as possible in the European queen event.
Three months later, the reality is much more cruel.
PSG finds itself in a bad position after the first three days of C1 which saw him lose twice.
Faced with the Germans, victorious in the first leg (2-1), Thomas Tuchel's men therefore have no room for error.
"In the first leg we had a great first half, but in the end we had the bad luck to miss a penalty [by Di Maria], because at 2-0 I think the game was folded, or at least a lot easier. ([On the return,] we will have to play as we know how to do, going forward, keeping the ball. Leipzig is a very good team, I like their football, but we can beat them ", explains Juan Bernat, the Spanish defender of Paris.
PSG have had a complicated start to the season.
Between the injuries, the cases of Covid-19 and the suspensions, Thomas Tuchel has hardly ever had his entire workforce.
An avalanche of injuries which can in part be attributed to the late final of the Champions League, organized at the end of August due to the Covid-19, leaving the players without real holidays: "We practically had no preparation before- season, after the Champions League we had ten days [of rest], and we immediately started the championship. We also have a lot of injuries, significant absences, that too, that has an effect on the team " , justifies the Spaniard, who was injured on September 16 against Metz.
If in the league, PSG always seems a cut above, it is not immune to fakes.
Friday, November 20, four days before the shock against Leipzig, the capital club was thus surprised by Monaco 3 to 2. Worse: the scenario of the match looked like a comeback with Paris leading 2 to 0 to half-time.
Not enough to calmly contemplate the capital meeting to come.
"The Champions League is a very difficult competition. There is this element of luck, of not having injuries at crucial times, but I believe that PSG have the team to be able to win it", wants to believe Bernat.
Mbappé and Neymar back
Thomas Tuchel still has a cause for celebration: his two superstars, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé, are back from injury.
They will have played eight short minutes together on the lawn of the Stade Louis-II on Friday.
Not enough to show the two of them.
The two may well be aligned together in C1, while between suspensions, Covid-19 and injuries, the duo have only recorded 321 minutes together this season.
The young French prodigy made a first half of high flight by offering himself a double.
Launched by Angel Di Maria, he sowed Axel Disasi in pure speed before winning the ball in front of a too quickly beaten Vito Mannone (0-1, 25th).
Then, he transformed with his right foot the penalty obtained by Rafinha, cut too violently by Youssouf Fofana (0-2, 37th).
His ninth goal in Ligue 1 this season and especially his ninety-ninth, in all competitions under the Parisian colors.
Top 6 top scorers in the history of #PSG:
1- Cavani 200 goals
2- Ibrahimovic 156
3- Pauleta 109
4- Rocheteau 100
5- Mbappé 99
6- Dahleb 98 pic.twitter.com/PgqQ4lcp47
- Best of PSG (@LMDPSG) November 22, 2020
Not yet satisfied, he even bid at the end of half-time and thought he had validated his hundredth.
Following a great breakthrough from Abdou Diallo, he once again stung and scored subtly.
Time to flatter his ego by showing his new total of goals in front of the camera, the referee Clément Turpin refused the realization, after intervention of the VAR.
As for Neymar, he returned at the end of the match.
The Brazilian, injured in the Champions League against Basaksehir Istanbul (0-2) at the end of October, had been authorized to play again after participating in collective training on Thursday.
However, weighed little.
Another cause for celebration, Leipzig remains in a draw in Frankfurt on Saturday (1-1), and fell from the Bundesliga podium (4th).
"We want to have a fresh team for Paris. The pressure is on them," commented coach Julian Nagelsmann after the meeting.
But the RB are also playing big, because if they lose the advantage over Paris, they will have to overthrow Manchester United, where they lost 5-0 in the first leg.
With AFP
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