At the Parc des Princes,
Bradley Barcola stole the show. In the 83rd minute of play, as they left, the Parc des Princes roared with pleasure to salute the convincing performance of the former Lyonnais, for his first as a starter. In the process, Achraf Hakimi also joined the sidelines, and it was difficult for the Parisian supporters to raise their voices again. However, without devaluing Barcola’s performance, the Moroccan’s match against Marseille (4-0) would have deserved standing ovation, guard of honor, prostration and keys to the city. Nothing less.
As usual, the former Real Madrid player swallowed up the kilometers on the Parisian right flank. As usual, he provoked, centered, fired. But, it was also the little secret touch of the new system put in place by Luis Enrique, this little ingredient that we add at the last moment in a recipe to make the palates of our guests vibrate with pleasure: on the offensive phases, Achraf Hakimi has moved into midfielder. Yes quite.
Scorer from direct free kick
And the guy played this hybrid role more than well. Right back in defensive phase, midfielder-winger when his team has the ball. Pushed by Marquinhos, from the first minute, to play higher, Hakimi and his positioning completely disrupted Pancho Abardonado’s system. Not followed by left back Renan Lodi, not accompanied by striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Achraf Hakimi had astonishing freedom in midfield. And he took the opportunity to combine wonderfully with Ousmane Dembélé, who had the right lane for him.
A little behind since the start of the season, Ousmane Dembélé has found the perfect partner to shine. It was also after an exchange between the two men that a dangerous free kick was whistled near the penalty area (7th). A free kick brilliantly executed by the Moroccan. “He is a player with very good qualities, especially on free kicks,” admitted Luis Enrique. He works on that during training. He can give us a lot. »
Everywhere and all the time
And not just on free kicks. Scorer, therefore, Achraf Hakimi was also involved in two other Parisian goals. First on a dry strike full axis, free of any marking (well, well) which, before being taken back victoriously by Randal Kolo Muani (37th), hit the post. Then by combining with Ousmane Dembélé (well, well) who, thanks to a call in the void from his defender, took advantage of the space left free in front of him to cross perfectly towards Gonçalo Ramos (47th).
“He’s a defender, but he can be a midfielder and an attacker,” rejoiced Luis Enrique, always quick to praise any of his players. It’s a joy for a coach to have a player like that. » Especially in a match where PSG had possession (77%), avoiding opposing transitions which could put the Moroccan in difficulty. Against Marseille, his rare ball losses were offset by the excessive activity of Manuel Ugarte.
Restrained under Pochettino and Galtier?
Already a scorer against Lyon and Dortmund, Achraf Hakimi has had an ideal start to the season. A bit like the one achieved last season, before he joined the ranks, like the rest of the team after the World Cup, celebrated in Qatar, where Morocco had an incredible run, until the semi-finals. final. But where he seemed held back by Christophe Galtier last season, and Mauricio Pochettino before him, the arrival of Luis Enrique changed something for the full-back.
“I feel free, well used, with a big role,” explained the person concerned after the victory against Dortmund. The coach made me feel free. I feel a lot of confidence. »And, as all footballers say, like the famous “the important thing is the three points”, Hakimi could have continued with a small one: “And I want to repay this trust. » Come on, we don’t blame you Ashraf, we do it for you.