Paris Saint-Germain must avoid another misstep in Salzburg, Tuesday December 10 in the Champions League. Luis Enrique’s men will try to climb the rankings while they are 25th out of 36 with four points.
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Beware of danger. To avoid the specter of an infamous elimination in C1, the capital club with a colossal budget does not really have any other options than to find a conquering face. After the rout at Arsenal (2-0) and the two poor performances at the Parc des Princes (1-1 draw against Eindhoven, 2-1 defeat against Atlético Madrid), Paris’ season is hanging by a thread and the trip to Salzburg will take place with a final safety net. Paris has only scored three goals after five days.
And there is no question of considering a draw at the Red Bull Arena, against an even lower ranked team (32nd with three points). This would require the Parisians to win their final two matches to ensure they are not one of only eight teams to be eliminated from the league stage.
However, the reception on January 22 of Manchester City, certainly in crisis, offers no guarantee of a point, any more than the trip, for a young team on a wire, on the last day on January 29 in Stuttgart.
Barcola highly anticipated
Bradley Barcolawho is experiencing a downturn after a great start in the league (10 goals, two assists), has still not scored in the Champions League. With the suspension of Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola will have to regain all his momentum from the start of the season.
While he continues the tasteless matches like the one against Nantes (1-1) and Friday at Auxerre (0-0), the former Lyonnais must raise his level of play to once again become this centerpiece of PSG, new era.
“ I don’t worry. If Barcola goes three days without scoring you will criticize him. It’s a marathon, there will be ups and downs and if he doesn’t score, other players will score. There is no additional burden, the pressure should not be placed more on one player », Declared coach Luis Enrique at the beginning of November.
No Parisian attacker has found the net in C1
Less sharp and impactful when he accelerates, the slender, dreadlocked player is now perfectly caught by opposing defenses and his hooks are better managed. Even though he scored a double against Angers on November 9 (4-2), he lost his place as top scorer in the championship, behind Jonathan David (11 goals). For this third European trip of the season, to Salzburg, the winger will now have to sweep away the doubts that have been haunting him for several weeks, while he now makes very little difference one on one.
No Parisian striker has found the net during European matches since last April. Only Warren Zaire-Emery during the defeat against Atlético (2-1) and Achraf Hakimi against PSV Eindhoven (1-1) have scored this season in the Champions League: a midfielder and a full-back. Against Salzburg, Bradley Barcola has the opportunity to return to the forefront.