In a parallel world, PSG would have gone to Rennes this Sunday (9 p.m., on Canal +) carried by the euphoria of a qualification for the final of the Champions League.
In an ideal world, Lens would have hung on to see Lille stumble on Friday night and Paris would still be in the race for a historic treble.
In this dream scenario, the announcement this Saturday of the extension of Neymar's contract until 2025, tied for several weeks, would have offered additional enthusiasm to Parisians before going for a tour in Brittany.
Unfortunately for PSG, reality offers a much more disappointing face.
On the European level, City has imposed its collective strength and, in Ligue 1, Lille its realism against Lens (0-3).
This Sunday, Paris will be four points behind the northern club at the start of its meeting of the 36th day.
“Lille's victory necessarily brings him closer to the title,” admits Mauricio Pochettino.
The title is not just up to us.
On the other hand, it is up to us to keep the pressure on Lille by winning our three games and to continue to hope.
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Ensure at least qualification in the Champions League
If the logic of a faultless until the last day would not necessarily ensure the title for Paris, it would however have another virtue welcome in these turbulent times: that of guarding against any gigantic disillusion as to the qualification. for the Champions League for next season. But when the identity of the pursuers is Lyon and Monaco in a season where PSG already has eight losses, it is not time to be overly optimistic.
According to Pochettino, we should not imagine the Parisians too downcast by their elimination last Tuesday. “The disappointment of not being in the Champions League final is enormous but it quickly passed, assured this Saturday, in a press conference, the Argentinian technician. We have great players, they know how to manage their emotions and know the importance of quickly moving on to something else. We have three important games left, three games that we have to win, we know that. "
Faced with Rennes deprived of Camavinga and Nzonzi, suspended, but motivated by the idea of seeking fifth place synonymous with Europe, the Parisians will have to compose without Kylian Mbappé, suspended, nor Marco Verratti, hit in the knee and that we are not sure to see again by the end of the season. And to give themselves strength, they can tell themselves that they remain on a series of ten successes in the matches following a defeat in the Champions League. And that if they fail to achieve the treble this year, they can count on Neymar to try to achieve it in the next four seasons.
