The Limited Times

Now you can see non-English news...

PSG-Sochaux: the time for the final adjustments before the Champions League

2020-08-05T04:55:24.885Z


One week before its quarter-final against Atalanta, PSG is testing itself one last time against a Ligue 2 team.


A dress rehearsal? That's not really the idea, actually. One week away from its Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta Bergamo (August 12), PSG is testing itself one last time against Sochaux (L 2), this Wednesday evening (7 p.m.) at the Parc des Princes. The Lionceaux correspond perfectly to the criterion sought by PSG during its preparation: to find more a sparring partner than an opponent.

This is the fourth meeting of this nature (after Le Havre, Waasland-Beveren and Celtic Glasgow for 20 goals scored and zero conceded) and the sixth outing for the club from the capital, also involved in the two Cup finals. nationals for two successes. This friendly match must remain within its scope: a real encounter against a weaker formation to improve the overall physical condition and / or revive certain elements, without any real tactical stake.

With this in mind, Juan Bernat will play his first minutes of the new season. As for the other players at the start - Paris began its campaign of friendlies on July 12 - Thomas Tuchel could offer him 45 minutes of presence at the Parc des Princes, which will remain behind closed doors. Abdou Diallo, entered in the 114th minute of the Coupe de la Ligue final against OL, follows the same logic, that of the lack of playing time, lack of pace. The defender returned to competition after an operation in early June to treat a herniated disc.

Thiago Silva and Marquinhos at rest, the expected replacements

After a particularly trying thirty minutes extension at this stage of the season on Friday in Saint-Denis, Thomas Tuchel will not take any risk after a few alerts. Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, victims of cramps, should pass their turn. Mauro Icardi would need a small goal for his personal confidence but he too came out against Lyon (58th), his right thigh overheated.

This life-size training against Sochaux remains the opportunity for final adjustments without pulling on the bodies and the cohort of usual replacements - Mbe Soh, Draxler, Herrera, Sarabia, Choupo-Moting, Kalimuendo - is expected immediately. Tuchel must now decide on the proportion of regular holders to inject into his starting XI or during the match, Kimpembe, Gueye, Paredes, Di Maria or Neymar needing, each for their own reasons, to continue. Physically, the Parisian group has not yet reached its homogeneity. Sochaux can help correct - a little - this data.

This Tuesday, UEFA also announced good news for two Parisians (Neymar and Bernat) by erasing the yellow cards after the round of 16, thus ruling out a threat of suspension for accumulation during the quarter-final of the Champions League. But that of Di Maria, already effective, will indeed be applied against Atalanta.

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2020-08-05

You may like

Trends 24h

Latest

© Communities 2019 - Privacy

The information on this site is from external sources that are not under our control.
The inclusion of any links does not necessarily imply a recommendation or endorse the views expressed within them.