Special envoy to Lisbon
Thomas Müller, David Alaba, Jérôme Boateng… Juan Bernat will find many famous faces this Sunday, he who wore the colors of Bayern between 2014 and 2018. Four years with a taste of unfinished… First indisputable holder (49 matches in 2014 -15), the Spanish international then saw his rank decrease in the hierarchy of Pep Guardiola. The blame for injuries at first. Then, David Alaba took over on the left… After new physical problems and a short season with 11 matches in all competitions under the orders of Jupp Heynckes, Bernat therefore took the powder from Escampette. All to join PSG, desperately in search of a successor to… Maxwell, who retired a year earlier. The Lucas Digne (2013-15) and Layvin Kurzawa (2015-…) experiments were hardly successful, even if the latter has just been extended for four seasons. It will be in a role of understudy. Behind the indispensable Juan Bernat.
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Because in Paris, the (relatively) small (1.70m) Spanish quickly made his way. First, no more repeated injuries. It was the most important. Because the qualities, he always had them. Offensive qualities, with an above average technique. It is important when we are regularly brought to combine with Neymar or Kylian Mbappé on the left. Defensive qualities too. Certainly, Bernat is a modern side, therefore offensive. But he has nothing of a colander on his side. Grinta on all floors, engagement, vice… He compensates. And it's pretty solid overall.
"He's a very calm, quiet and humble guy"
Thomas Tuchel in 2018Thomas Tuchel is in any case a big fan. He always has been. “He played for Valencia, he started as a winger, and he played for Bayern, with Pep, at a very high level as a left-back. He has good technique, he is safe with the ball, a good mentality. He is active and aggressive in recovery ", analyzed the German coach, a few weeks after the signing of the person concerned, in the summer of 2018." He is a very calm, quiet and humble guy. He is a very reliable player, especially with the ball. You have to pass a lot and like that style of play. At the same time, he's great for counter-pressing, very responsible and reliable at protecting spaces when defending and half-spaces when attacking. It's very important, ”he added a few months later, after getting to know the person concerned. So knowing that Kurzawa was also stuck in the infirmary (he resumed with the group in Lisbon), Tuchel was delighted to be able to align Bernat against Atalanta. First official match since March. Touched, he could only make his comeback against Sochaux, on August 5, in a friendly. "Maybe he will have to hold, said the German coach, before the" Final 8 ". Did he prepare in the best way for a match against Bergamo? No. Is it perhaps necessary? Yes."
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And he played. Against Atalanta (2-1), and against Leipzig (3-0). And he scored, again. The second goal against the Germans is him. One decisive goal, one more. It is already the former Munich who had made the break against Dortmund (2-0). Bernat in Paris is already six goals and a dozen assists in 72 matches. The man for big dates. Because five of his six goals were scored in C1, against Naples (1-1), against Liverpool (2-1) and therefore against Leipzig. He also gave hope to the Parc des Princes by reducing the score against Manchester United (1-3). The goal of qualifying for the quarter-finals… until the penalty generously awarded by the referee to the Red Devils in added time.
When Hoeness got out of control about Bernat
Certainly, Bayern has what it takes on the left, with the Alphonso Davies bomb. Alaba is now moving in the axis. But in view of the events, we say to ourselves that Juan Bernat at 5 M €, the price paid by Antero Henrique and PSG, is a gift. Uli Hoeness however did not see things like that… “We were almost eliminated against Sevilla (in C1), and he would have been the only person responsible. That day, we decided to sell it, had launched the one who was at the time the boss of the Bavarian club. Our happiness or our misfortune does not depend on Bernat. ” Atmosphere ... An outing that the native of Cullera had welcomed with astonishment. "I don't give it much importance, that was his opinion," he had squeaked. Since then, the one who became honorary president of the FCB made his mea-culpa: “I would like to be able to repeat this press conference… I am sorry to have insulted him. The criticisms against me were justified. ” But Bernat will undoubtedly remember it when entering the lawn ...
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