between Lucas Hernandez’s injury and the obligation to score, Luis Enrique forced to make adjustments

The capital club is only one step away from a second C1 final, but it must do better than in the first leg to win on Tuesday at the Parc des Princes.

A goal behind and 90 minutes ahead of him. Paris Saint-Germain is in the same situation as in the quarter-finals, but the parameters are not the same. Tuesday May 7, the capital club will try to overthrow Borussia Dortmund to reach the final of the Champions League. This time, the comeback will have to be accomplished at home, in a Parc des Princes which has not experienced such meetings since 1995 (in 2021 the semi-final was behind closed doors, in 2020 it was played on neutral ground in Portugal).

“We will win”, Luis Enrique repeated to the Parisian supporters who made the trip to the training center in recent days. Obviously, at a press conference, the Spanish coach did not wish to reveal the slightest detail of his plan of attack. No stranger to last-minute surprises in his team compositions, he could be tempted, as against Barcelona, ​​to make several changes, both in terms of men and tactics.

The game project will remain the same

“We have to play our plan and follow the idea that we have had since the start of the season: control the ball, create chances like we did in the second half there, do what is necessary to make a good match.” On the eve of the decisive round against BvB, captain Marquinhos showed that his coach’s communication had found an echo in the locker room. For many months, at PSG we have been striving to defend the game project, at the center of this new era which aims to be more patient, more serene and more collective.

There is therefore no question of disowning yourself by changing everything. “Today, we really have a stronger collective. In other seasons there was not this cohesion, this desire to win all the matches and get far in the Champions League. There are ideas. Players have left, others have arrived. When the team is doing well it makes things easy for the players.confessed Marquinhos, giving credence to the talk that PSG has changed this season.

“If you think you have to score two goals, it seems far away. You have to score one and win the match. If we ever concede a goal it doesn’t matter; it happened to us against Barça. We have to stay calm. The match will be similar to the first leg. It will be very competitive.

Luis Enrique, PSG coach

in pre-match press conference

Before the return to Barcelona, ​​Luis Enrique had warned that he intended to rely on the strengths of his team and defused, in anticipation, the impact of a goal conceded by his team. “You must always be prepared for things to go wrong in order, if necessary, to turn the situation around. To do this you must not be affected as little as possible (…). If the ball goes out, if there is a foul , I want my players to continue their effort and stay in the competition. That way, even if the situation is not what we prepared for, I am sure that my team will fight.insisted the Asturian, still calm despite the late goal.

Replace Lucas Hernandez in central defense

Even if the general discourse focuses on cultivating the apparent serenity by giving the impression that nothing will destabilize this team, all the lights are not green before the semi-final return. PSG will have to do without Lucas Hernandez, one of its sure values ​​in defense. The 2018 world champion who muzzled Robert Lewandowski in Barcelona suffered a ruptured cruciate knee ligament last Wednesday.

For Paris, the starting central defender alongside Marquinhos will not be able to hold his place. Several choices are available to Luis Enrique to replace him. The most obvious option is the integration of Lucas Beraldo position for position, left axis (he also being left-handed). The Brazilian is also the one who replaced him after his injury in Dortmund. But Luis Enrique has other defenders at his disposal, from Danilo Pereira to Milan Skriniar and the versatile Nordi Mukiele. No clue was given upstream.

An efficiency to be found in the face of goal

In front of the Yellow Wall, Paris Saint-Germain showed a glaring lack of realism, like this occasion when Achraf Hakimi and Kylian Mbappé hit the post in quick succession. Unable to make their highlight come true after returning from the locker room, the Parisians surely mulled over their many missed opportunities. “To obtain another result, we must be more efficient”had conceded Luis Enrique, yet not the type to recognize the faults of his teams.

After having benefited from five days to analyze the first leg, the technician assured that he knew very well what he was doing without providing information on what he intends to retouch in the offensive animation. “I analyze down to the smallest detail. Each attacker has particular characteristics. My team compositions may surprise, but there are things that require us to make a decision. I have confidence in all my players, in attack , in the middle and in defense Everyone can start the match.declared Luis Enrique, deliberately evasive, after a question on the possible tenure of Gonçalo Ramos at the forefront.

He was not more precise on the instructions he will give to Kylian Mbappé, expected to be the hero for his last C1 match at the Parc des Princes with Paris: “Every match is different. The player has to see where the spaces are available depending on the opposing defense. I don’t want the attacker to come and get the ball in midfield. I want our best players to touch the ball in critical areas Obviously the defenders are not going to leave them free at the penalty point. [Kylian Mbappé] touches the ball where it will be dangerous”. The suspense is complete before the shock.