We had left him looking crestfallen, Sunday evening at the Vélodrome. “Sacrificed” in the 60th minute to bring in Thilo Kehrer after the expulsion of Ashraf Hakimi, confused. The Argentinian knew it, he is the first fuse among the “fantastic four”. The one whose number 11 is brandished before the others by the fourth referee in case of a glitch.
Undoubtedly unfair for Di Maria, who suffers there from an aura slightly below that of the other three. Sooner or later he will get used to it. Because often, his role in Paris has been called into question. His presence on the right wing was threatened in 2017 by the famous MCN (Mbappé-Cavani-Neymar). It was predicted a place in the warm, on the bench, when the Pulga bounced in the capital. But the Argentine has systematically recovered, recalling brilliantly that the reality on the ground caught up with that of jersey sales.
Five days after the Provençal episode, the reception of Lille, Friday, October 29 (2-1), perfectly illustrated the determination of Fideo. Apathetic and abused by Mastiffs with sharp fangs, the Parisians came close to disappointment. Kylian Mbappé, so often quick to save his family, being absent, a providential man was needed. Not an easy task, especially since Messi, diminished and disappointing again, came out at the break.
So Angel Di Maria took matters into his own hands. The few clearings in the first period came out of his left paw. The artist has decided to reserve his best number for the end of the show. Launched to the left at a quarter of an hour from the end, the Argentinian stung a delicious cross for Marquinhos. The Brazilian, strangely alone, equalized. It must be said that all Lille converged at the near post, thinking that the Parisian winger would serve Mauro Icardi. But Di Maria and her lynx eyes were one step ahead.
And what about this opening of @neymarjr and this center of Angel Di Maria … #League 1 | #PSGLOSC https://t.co/b1GPpnw6wS
– Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) October 29, 2021
Two minutes from the end, he inherited yet another ball, this time on the right. His sharp pass found Neymar who, in the right tempo, served him again. The ex-Benfica player opened his foot and cheated on Ivo Grbic. Sufficient to capsize the Park. Di Maria is cheered by the 47,000 spectators, and embraced by most of his teammates.
FIDEO #League 1 | #PSGLOSC pic.twitter.com/Aod9O05Kop
– Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG_inside) October 29, 2021
Distill an offering and then score in the same meeting, this had not happened to him since February 2021. Friday, the former Real Madrid player recalled how much his left paw, his vista and his determination were essential to PSG.
Will this benefit change the status of Fideo in the capital ? Probably not. Associating it with Messi, Neymar and Mbappé did not bear fruit against Lyon, Rennes and Marseille. And it is difficult to see, for the balance of the locker room, as for the returned image, Mauricio Pochettino deliberately leaving one of his three stars on the sidelines. To see, now, if Angel Di Maria manages to overturn this royal hierarchy.