“The jackpot, ladies and gentlemen! » At 12:14 p.m. this Monday, Parisian supporters, football observers and journalists alike (we plead guilty) all went there with their best possible imitation of the voice of Gilbert Brisbois (from Afterfoot on RMC) to accompany the PSG-Real poster Sociedad. When you can deal with European monsters like Manchester City, Bayern Munich or Real Madrid from mid-February, falling in the round of 16 of the Champions League to the current sixth in La Liga is akin to a sweet treat. a destiny of which PSG is hardly accustomed. However, as we are the type “relous fans of the opposite” to 20 minuteswe are already telling you how the first knockout matches of this Luis Enrique version of Paris will go off with a bang.
Hipsters don’t lie
The last time that Parisian supporters jumped like this at the opening of the UEFA balls, it was in 2020 at the announcement of a Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta Bergamo for the Final Oven in Lisbon. All the hipsters of modern football then rose to predict yet another European crash for PSG by praising His Holiness Gian Piero Gasperini and his (rebel) disciple Papu Gomez. This scenario actually came very close: never serene, as if consumed by a status of ultimate favorite which they were not used to endorsing for a decisive match in C1, the Parisians suffered like no other, being still trailing (0-1) in the 89th minute of play.
OK, Marquinhos and the improbable Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting (2-1, 90th + 3) turned everything around in added time, but PSG had failed in the approach to this supposedly unbalanced meeting. If only Marquinhos and Kylian Mbappé (difficult to still count Presnel Kimpembe for a meeting in February/in 2024) are still in the squad since the miracle of August 12, 2020 at the Luz stadium, we tend to think that PSG’s European loss goes well beyond names. And Basque hipsters are already very noisy on the networks this Monday.
The Basque pressing will wash away PSG (hello Gigio)
Did you like seeing Luis Enrique’s gang being shaken from all sides at Saint James’ Park (4-1)? This double clash of the eighth of C1 is for you because Real Sociedad is not the type to give up its identity of pressing at all costs. In this regard, we advise you to take a look at the first action of his recent match at San Siro, decisive for first place in his group. Already qualified and only needing a draw to beat Inter Milan (reigning European vice-champion, remember), the men of the little-known Imanol Alguacil (52) were going to wait in the middle block, No ?
Do you think, on the kick-off in favor of Inter, no less than six Real players sprinted like madmen in the Italian 20 meters, to the point of recovering the ball by Munoz and Zakharyan and create a first game situation after 20 seconds. So is this team, capable of remaining undefeated against Inter Milan, Benfica Lisbon and Red Bull Salzburg (3 wins and 3 draws). All while presenting the best defense in the entire Champions League, with two goals conceded. There is no doubt that the pressing of Mikel Oyarzabal and co will continue to haunt Gianluigi Donnarumma’s nights in the next two months.
Forget Kyle Walker, the “kykryptonite” is called Hamari Traoré
Remember how much the entire English press treated us to Kyle Walker, supposed to be the only defender in the world capable of completely anesthetizing Kylian Mbappé for the quarter-final of the World Cup. What if, finally, the right man to stop the Bondy kid’s runs was named Hamari Traoré? We see you laughing when discovering this hypothesis, but know that the Malian right side has already brought to life one of the worst evenings of the first part of the career of “Kyky”, namely this final of the Coupe France PSG-Rennes won on penalties by the Bretons (2-2, 5-6) with his expulsion following a memorable blow.
Former captain of Stade Rennais, Hamari Traoré (31) is extremely reliable, and his adaptation to Saint-Sébastien, where he immediately became an indisputable starter, is remarkable. Above all, we admit to having been amazed by his ease in taking five meters from Marcus Thuram, during last week’s shock at San Siro (0-0), to annihilate an Italian counter-attack. Certainly, things will go much faster with Mbappé (if Luis Enrique does not manage to achieve a Pivot Gang, part 2 by February), but Hamari Traoré has a “kykryptonite” profile.
Kubo standing
We’re not going to lie to you: we weren’t sure when we started listing the Real Sociedad squad that we’d find THE guy who could make the difference to ridicule PSG in the Champions League. David Silva retired this summer, Alexander Isak left the club in 2022, Antoine Griezmann left in 2014 and Xabi Alonso ten years earlier. We have (slight) doubts about the former Angevin striker Mohamed-Ali Cho, author of two goals in a season and a half in the Basque Country. On the other hand, one of the long-awaited talents in La Liga is fully blossoming on the Real Sociedad side, namely Takefusa Kubo. At 22, the elusive Japanese virtuoso fully confirms his great first year at the club (9 goals and 7 assists in the league).
Spectacular as can be, the attacking midfielder trained at Barça… then at Real Madrid, with a cliched nickname of “Japanese Messi”, now displays all his talent every week in Spain. Six goals and three assists in 16 La Liga matches since this summer, what else ? Oh yes, the guy is still chasing the first goal in the Champions League to completely explode his promising career in Europe. Admit that you also see him tormenting PSG at Anoeta in an area between Lucas Hernandez and Milan Skriniar. After all, Parisian friends, it would almost be commendable to support the outbreak mainstream of a talented player and his (totally) inexperienced team in C1.