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Paris Saint-Germain are back in bread and butter in Ligue 1 on Sunday night at the Parc des Princes when the star-studded circus faces a clumsy Lyon team in the sixth game of the season.
Mauricio Pochettino’s team enter the clash as a leader with five out of five top-flight wins.
Lyon – one of the big animals in the firmament of French football – arrives in the capital seventh in the standings with eight points after five games.
Lyon enjoyed a successful exit in the Europa League on Thursday night with a 2-0 victory at Rangers.
The fortune of PSG in the Champions League on Wednesday night was the stuff of the nightmare. They drew 1-1 in Bruges. And they had to thank keeper Keylor Navas for bailing them out on several occasions.
Not the expected pyrotechnics of a team unleashing Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi for the first time.
The fabulous three failed to shoot. It was Ander Herrera Рadmittedly set up by Mbapp̩ Рwho scored the goal for PSG in the 15th minute.
It was called off 12 minutes later and Brugge outscored their illustrious opponents who left Stadion Jan Breydel chastised.
Odds
“There were definitely aspects of the game where Brugge was better,” said Pochettino.
“But we started the game well, we scored but we gave them the chance to believe it by conceding a goal that we should not concede. We have to work to improve ourselves.
Some of that prized British phlegm may have seeped into Argentina’s core during his five years in the country as Tottenham Hotspur boss.
But the 49-year-old will know his fate revolves around winning – one title in particular.
Money-soaked Qatari owners have pumped a few billion euros into the players and coaches who have provided Paris Saint-Germain with seven Ligue 1 titles in the past nine years as well as six Coupe de France triumphs and as many in Chopped off. of the League. There were also eight French Super Cups.
Money
But despite the splash, the biggest trinket of all – the Uefa Champions League – did not end up in the Parc des Princes trophy room.
The lavish transfer investment – over € 400m for Neymar and Mbappé alone – has heightened expectations and scrutiny.
Considered one of the favorites for the 2022 Champions League crown due to an übersquad which includes Dutch skipper Georginio Wijnaldum as well as Italian goalkeeper Gigi Donnarumma, there were chest pounding and applause after the stalemate in Bruges on Wednesday evening.
A convincing result against Lyon on Sunday night will reduce criticism of Pochettino’s tactics, especially if PSG follow up with victories over Metz and Montpellier.
Meticulous examination
But he will be in the spotlight again when Manchester City travel to Parc des Princes on September 28 for the Champions League Group A second game.
Pep Guardiola’s side beat PSG over two sets to reach last season’s final where they were defeated by Chelsea – led by Thomas Tuchel who took PSG to the 2020 final and defeated against Bayern Munich.
Even a loss to City wouldn’t be catastrophic with four games to go in the pool. But that would call into question the notions of supremacy.
“It’s not always the best teams that win the Champions League,” Messi said when revealed to the media after signing a two-year contract with PSG last month.
Luck
“Sometimes it takes a little luck and that’s what makes it so special.”
Chelsea fans will attest to this. Bayern Munich beat them in the 2012 final but the West Londoners won on penalties. And in 2021, Guardiola decided to restart a sinister winning machine for the final with disastrous results.
And yet a modest start in Europe’s most prestigious club football competition could provide the platform for dominance after a form overhaul.
Matching Messi, Neymar and Mbappé in a fluid bloom of snipers will take time. Why not ?
Just because they’re all pretty good doesn’t mean they won’t need the white heat of a competitive match or two to synchronize their supernatural patterns.
“Combinations and affinities don’t just come about in training,” insisted Pochettino – clearly still groomed from the Brugge blues.
Mbappé, who limped Wednesday night in the 50th minute with a left foot injury, will only be able to participate in those training sessions next week.
Pochettino’s yen for the trident to compete together will be denied for a game or two. And therefore the faithful of the PSG will only have to be satisfied with Messi and Neymar until the return of Mbappé.
Poor lambs. Pochettino could also use the 22-year-old’s absence to define a midfielder that offers creativity and solidity for the fun boy three to roam and cheer.
An inconsistent Lyon might not have provided the necessary scrutiny even if the troika had been ready to leave. Montpellier and Metz less. But they could have offered the necessary minutes.
Under normal circumstances, PSG against Lyon would be one of the defining matches of the Ligue 1 season, even so early in the campaign.
It looms on Sunday as an irritating addition to PSG’s obsession with the Champions League trophy and navel gaze.
Hara-kiri following a defeat would arouse such a schadenfreude.
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