For the second day of C1, Paris Saint-Germain travels to Newcastle on Wednesday, with the worst record of the QSI era in the championship but without any apparent crisis.
As is often the case in the fall, it is a still serene Paris Saint-Germain which advances in the Champions League. Since its convincing victory against Dortmund (2-0) and before receiving Milan, the capital club, which travels to Newcastle, Wednesday October 4, for the second day of the Champions League, even presents itself with the costume of favorite of the death group. And yet on the ground, everything is not so rosy.
Beaten by Nice on the return from the international break (2-3) and forced to concede three disappointing draws against Lorient (0-0), Toulouse (1-1) and Clermont (0-0) on Saturday, PSG version Luis Enrique displays at this stage the club’s worst record in the league since the arrival of QSI in 2011 (twelve points out of 21 possible). But no panic internally.
Time to take the time
On the one hand, the accounting situation is not so alarming insofar as Paris is fifth, two points behind a Monegasque leader far from impressing. On the other hand, the supporters – probably vaccinated by last season when Christophe Galtier’s team ended the year in distress with its seven defeats in Ligue 1 despite an invincibility preserved until January and the return of the Coupe du world – do not seem to get carried away, but rather to rejoice in the attempt to build a solid project. A form of compliance with PSG’s communication, calling in passing to no longer make the Champions League an obsession.
“We haven’t started the season extremely well. But it’s always been like that at my previous clubs at the start. There’s a lot of information to pass on, game concepts that the players have to assimilate. The team is very receptive, she has a lot of desire to adopt the ideas of the staff. I am delighted with the behavior of the players”, guaranteed Luis Enrique before the victory against BVB at the Parc des Princes, where five of the eleven summer recruits started. “It’s a process. It takes time. It’s hard to ask for time but I feel very peaceful. There will be good football and results, I’m sure.”anticipated the former Spain coach (2018-2022).
With this in mind to make it clear that the implementation of his principles will take several weeks, the Spaniard advocates sacred union by regularly defending his players in the face of criticism. To start with Gianluigi Donnarumma, whose kicking game was highlighted at a press conference. “All goalkeepers could suffer against a pressing team like Newcastle. All, not only Donnarumma”he recalled again on Tuesday.
Still areas to refine
Facing the Magpies, it will be a new major test, a new opportunity to build certainties and “the perfect opportunity to see what Paris Saint-Germain is made of”as Luis Enrique pointed out on Tuesday. Since August, theAsturian tries to find a satisfactory system. After starting in 4-3-3, the former Barça tactician tried to integrate Bradley Barcola into a four-attacker pattern against Marseille (4-0), to switch back to an unprecedented 3-3-3-1 against Clermont. The only problem is that the ex-Lyonnais encroaches on Kylian Mbappé’s preferential position, when Randal Kolo Muani and Ousmane Dembélé struggle to finish.
In the middle, the meeting in Auvergne also highlighted the difficulties in animation and projection when Manuel Ugarte and the young Warren Zaire-Emery are not aligned. Through his incessant pressing and his rapid recoveries when he loses the ball, the Uruguayan international appears to be an essential link for the Rouge et Bleu, while the young captain of the Bleuets (17 years old) establishes himself as an indisputable player. Behind them, finding an alternative in midfield will be a challenge in the medium term.
One thing is certain, in a St James’ Park adorned with a thousand lights while Newcastle returns to the C1 for the first time in 20 years, Luis Enrique will struggle to put the blame on a bad pitch if PSG slips, as it did with that at the Gabriel-Montpied stadium on Saturday.