Accident or return to earth, the return match next Tuesday will tell. But PSG took a slap on Wednesday evening against Barça (3-2 defeat), in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League.
The Parisian players were nevertheless pumped up, extremely motivated before the meeting. Everyone wanted to do well, aware of their mission to do well in this major meeting of the season. The Ultra Paris collective pulled out all the stops for a match that attracted VIPs. Ronaldinho, Didier Deschamps and Pierre Gasly were present. Jorge Mendes, who represents around ten players (Parisians and Barcelonans) on the pitch, was also there.
Kylian Mbappé had announced the color. “It’s the time for the big players, so I’m ready and of course, as usual, I’m not going to hide,” assured the captain of the France team in an interview broadcast on Sunday on Téléfoot on TF1 . “Every year, at this time, it’s a turning point in the season. At the end of April, we will have an indication of what type of season we are more or less likely to have.”
>> PSG-Barça (2-3): info and live results
As usual Luis Enrique proposed a surprise 11
The result did not live up to expectations. Among the questions raised by this match, the choices of Luis Enrique. The Spanish technician, who takes responsibility for his decisions without always explaining them to the media this season, has surprised again. Not by its animation: a 4-3-3 system with a false number 9 and two wingers to accompany it, Paris has already done it this season, notably against Real Sociedad or OM. This is therefore an option worked on regularly.
There remains the choice of men, with a few surprises: the non-starting of Warren Zaire-Emery in midfield, the starting of Marco Asensio up front with Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, Kang-In Lee in the midfield three… as much grounds for questions, particularly concerning the lack of automatisms in the initial formula. Luis Enrique has a habit of revealing his team composition at the very last moment. He was faithful to his habits.
If a player has attracted attention for his lack of edge, it is Kylian Mbappé. Highly anticipated in France but also in Spain, the captain of the Blues disappointed. Is it also because of his management on the part of Luis Enrique? The former Monegasque, who announced his departure at the end of the season to management several weeks ago, is no longer the center of the Parisian project. He knows it and his coach made him understand, both in the press conference and by making him leave before the end of the match on several occasions. Today, he is no longer a separate player but a member of the collective like any other. No more no less.
On Wednesday, he did not respond and is certainly aware of it. Regularly aligned at the forefront this season with great freedom granted to his positioning, he seems lost. Clearly lacking confidence, the 2018 world champion is also less highlighted in the current scheme. This possession game advocated by Luis Enrique offers him fewer transition situations and therefore exploits less of his primary qualities, in particular his speed and his excesses. The Spaniard has a game idea in mind and will not give up. He will not make concessions to highlight Kylian Mbappé more and does not want to upset everything for a single player.
Uncertainty remains around the psychological state of the French striker, who appeared less enterprising on the pitch. Did his exit before the end of the match at the Vélodrome, in what was his last Classic under the Parisian jersey, leave any traces? Especially in a meeting which has been successful so many times and which has always been close to his heart. Luis Enrique wanted to make him a normal player, this was seen against Barça. However, it will undoubtedly be necessary for a great Kylian Mbappé on Tuesday to hope for qualification.
Parisians think they can turn things around
On the other hand, on Wednesday, one thing did not disappoint: the support of the supporters. The Ultras Paris Collective, mobilized for days, once again showed its full support for its team, while respecting the club’s safety instructions (by not using smoke bombs for example). At half-time, after the match… the supporters were there to try to motivate the players while some Barcelona fans went very far in the rage. Unfailing support that PSG will need next week.
Internally, players and staff are convinced that they can win and qualify. This is the meaning of Luis Enrique’s speech since the final whistle. This Thursday, the players trained. The vast majority were on the ground. This is not so common the day after a match but which can also be explained by the fact that they will be given a day of rest on Friday, the only one of the week.