Before his PSG match against Brest, young Bradley Barcola is attracting praise from the media, who are already defining him as the star of the Parisian club. And that doesn’t please Luis Enrique.
A PSG-Brest to confirm Bradley Barcola’s status? After a few flashes and promising performances during his first season at PSG (4 goals and 6 assists in 26 Ligue 1 matches), the striker is starting the second season with a bang with an idyllic start in the Parisian attack. Second top scorer in the championship with 4 goals in 3 matches, the former Lyon player has shown that he has the ability to take on the role of the providential scorer after the departure of Kylian Mbappé. His weight in the Parisian game, his ability to create the difference and to be effective in the penalty area, make him the main offensive weapon of Luis Enrique’s team. The Spanish coach is aware of this and is doing everything to push back the praise for his protégé. Because for him, the progress is notable, but any pressure from the media or excessive expectations can hinder Barcola’s progress.
Luis Enrique has not forgotten the critics
Faced with two new injuries this week (Vitinha, Zaire-Emery), Luis Enrique finds himself with a full infirmary and his intervention at the press conference on the eve of the match against Brest made an impression. Questioned on the significant progress of the former OL training center resident, the Spanish coach constantly tried to put the facts into perspective by reminding the media of the harsh criticism of last fall “He would be protected if there were no journalists. That would be the best thing in the world. Because right now, everyone is talking about Bradley Barcola. But you remember the game against Newcastle. Here at home, do you remember? That he couldn’t play. That he was inexperienced. That he was a player who wasn’t ready for the Champions League.”
Before this PSG-Brest, the former FC Barcelona coach highlighted Barcola’s human qualities and his great humility to show his player’s ability to ignore on one hand the criticism but also the praise that slides off the latter’s shoulders, which allows him to always remain focused on the essential “performance”. Luis Enrique argues in this sense “ The good thing is that Barcola is a balanced, reasonable, humble person with very good family values. And it shows. He handled those delicate moments against Newcastle in the best way. That is to say calmly. He was not bad when he missed two or three chances and he is not the best player in the world today.”
The press wants black or white
Despite the many injuries, PSG’s attacking sector remains relatively well-stocked alongside Barcola (Doué, Kolo Muani, Asensio), but the Lyon player who celebrated his 22nd birthday during the international break is undoubtedly of a superior pedigree, capable of changing the course of a match, something Luis Enrique admitted in half-words. “Today he is a very powerful and improved version of Barcola, but throughout the season there will be ups and downs for all the players. And he will manage normally. Forgive me, the press always has something to say. The press wants black or white, at the top or a disaster. Life is not like that. There are many shades of grey throughout the seasons. But I think that in this sense, we are all serene.”
What time will the meeting take place?
The match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Brestois, which will be managed by Clément Turpin, will take place at 9 p.m. this Saturday at the Parc des Princes.
On which TV channel is PSG – Brest broadcast?
The match will be broadcast live and exclusively on DAZN. Subscription prices have been revised downwards. The annual Unlimited subscription goes to €19.99 per month instead of €29.99 per month with a 12-month commitment. For the monthly offer without commitment, its price goes from €39.99 to €19.99 for the first two months, a discount of 50%.
What streaming broadcast for the match?
You can follow the match in streaming only on the DAZN platform. The match is broadcast from 9 p.m.
Possible compositions
Paris Saint-Germain: Donnarumma – Hakimi (cap), Pacho, Beraldo, Zagué – Neves, Ruiz, Doué – Kolo Muani, Asensio, Barcola
Brest: Bizot – Lala, Chardonnet (cap), Coulibaly, Haïdara – Camara, Fernandes, Magnetti – Del Castillo, Ajorque, Sima