Without Neymar (ankle) or Angel Di Maria (thigh), PSG relies heavily on Kilyan Mbappé, promoted leader of the Parisian attack to face FC Barcelona, Tuesday, February 16, in order to put the team on the rails for qualification for the quarter-finals of the Champions League, before the return match at the Parc des Princes scheduled for Paris on March 10.
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On the eve of a Barça-PSG round of 16, Neymar's umpteenth injury questions
Responsibilities, the young world champion (22) has often asked for since 2017 and his arrival in Paris.
This time the whole scene is his.
The ambitious Mbappé will be able to show that he can "play the leading role, that of leader," former PSG captain Eric Rabesandratana told AFP.
"But be careful, he will have to have the hindsight not to overdo it, which will be hard for him," warns, "Rabe", consultant for France Bleu Paris and long-term follower of his former club.
For this great match, the Parisian striker can face up to four teammates of the France team, including three world champions.
Antoine Griezmann, in a prosperous start to 2021, with 7 goals and 8 assists in all competitions, and Ousmane Dembélé, who has just reached the 100-match mark in the Catalan jersey, should certainly surround Lionel Messi in front.
In defense, Gerard Piqué's resumption of training this week, after a long injury, suggests that he could regain his place in central defense alongside, no doubt, Clément Lenglet, who was not from the blue epic of 2018, or Samuel Umtiti, although he was very irregular.
Unless a 100% French Lenglet-Umtiti hinge.
Two clubs in bad shape
The famous "remountada" ("comeback", in Spanish) of 2017 (4-0, 1-6) remains the last and the most formidable coup de theater of this long-term series, where the PSG plays the role of sulfur. pain.
In fact, Paris only won the very first confrontation, in 1995, in the quarter-finals, with Vincent Guérin's winning goal that remained in the memory of the Parc des Princes (1-1, 2-1).
All the others turned to the advantage of the Catalans, from the 1997 Cup final (1-0) until the terrible humiliation of 2017 at Camp Nou.
In eleven matches, PSG have beaten Barça three times, but only won the confrontation once.
The new opus promises, even if the two clubs do not approach it at the top of their form.
Barcelona, in the midst of the electoral campaign (the president will be chosen on March 7), is only third in Liga eight lengths behind the leader, Atlético.
The 5-1 victory over Alaves this weekend is not enough to remove doubts.
PSG, used to crushing Ligue 1, remains one point behind the leader, Lille, after a somewhat sluggish victory against Nice (2-1) on Saturday.
But despite the absentees, "the team will be ready," hammered the Parisian coach, Mauricio Pochettino.
Messi in the crosshairs
The rivalry between the two clubs is all the stronger as the Messi file feeds many speculations between the two clubs, the Argentine star, at the end of his contract with Barça, being in particular courted by PSG for next season.
For the six-time Ballon d'Or (33 years old), it would not necessarily be his first choice.
Perhaps he would prefer to find Pep Guardiola in Manchester City rather than Neymar in Paris, it being understood that the two “petrodollars” or “gazoeuros” clubs seem the only ones capable of affording the jewel.
The arrival in early January of fellow countryman Pochettino on the Parisian bench may ultimately weigh in Messi's decision.
The coach of FC Barcelona, Ronald Koeman, was in any case annoyed that Leonardo, Parisian sports director, evoked the possibility of a Parisian Messi, seeing it as a not very sporting maneuver in view of this double confrontation.
The ingredients are not lacking to spice up this meeting which, Covid-19 obliges, will take place in a sadly empty Camp Nou stadium.
You will be able to follow this meeting live on our site from 8:45 p.m. in Paris.
With AFP
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