Paris (AFP) – Paris SG launches a Champions League campaign against Girona on Wednesday, which promises to be difficult and uncertain with its tough schedule in a new format, and a young team without a major star after the departure of Kylian Mbappé.
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So far so good, with four convincing wins in four Ligue 1 matches, a flurry of goals scored by a range of players and a more coherent and stable playing identity than last season. Bradley Barcola (four goals) on the left wing, Ousmane Dembélé (three goals, three assists) on the right wing, a midfield well-endowed with talent and vivacity: there are plenty of reasons to be satisfied at the start of this post-Mbappé season, who has left for Real Madrid. Moreover, the very demanding coach Luis Enrique has already expressed his satisfaction on several occasions, rejecting the idea that the team’s youth is a handicap.
Re-elected captain, the Brazilian Marquinhos confirms: “ There is a very good base inherited from last season, it is not starting now. There are just a few new players, who still have to adapt to what the coach asks.. » In this case, midfielder Joao Neves seems to have understood very quickly what is asked of him and displays a very good level for a 19-year-old recruit exiled from his native Portugal. Ecuadorian Willian Pacho has shown himself to be solid in defense. And Rennes transferee and French Espoir Désiré Doué has made several convincing entries.
No excuse
But the Champions League is still the benchmark for Parisian seasons. Luis Enrique did not hide: ” We will start on Wednesday a competition that we all want to win and which has been the club’s goal for many years. “And the upcoming edition has its share of challenges. The first round draw, already unfavourable last year, promises big battles from the league phase with Arsenal and Bayern Munich away, Atlético Madrid and Manchester City at home.
The other opponents – Girona, Stuttgart, PSV Eindhoven and Salzburg – are several notches below and there will be no room for error in these matches, with only eight teams qualifying directly from the 36 involved in the new single-group stage. Having to go through the play-offs in the event of a ranking between 9th and 24th place would be a blot on the landscape.
Luis Enrique is angry, repeatedly saying that PSG has been ” statistically the least favored by the draw “. On Tuesday, he assured nevertheless that he “would not use this excuse” in the event of a disappointment: “we will fight in every match, the difficulty is that every goal will count”. Marquinhos, for his part, wants to finish in the top 8: ” We always want to be at the top of the table “, even ” without a big name, without a big star ” after the successive departures of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé. ” It’s a new formula that we’re going to discover together, it’s like a championship, we mustn’t lose points, especially because we’re starting at home. ” he continued.
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From Wednesday in fact, the three points are recommended against Girona, surprising third in La Liga last year, which has qualities, warns Luis Enrique: ” I’ve seen almost all their games, and they’re one of the best teams in Spain. Girona will challenge us for the ball, they’re one of the few teams that can do that.. »
But the team coached by Michel took the plunge on Sunday at home against Barcelona (4-1 defeat). Its best players, from Artem Dovbyk to Aleix Garcia via Savio, left this summer. The latter is now waiting for PSG with his new team Manchester City, but much later in the season, on January 22.