A victory, and it starts again?
This would have been the case if FC Metz had emerged victorious from their duel with Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening at the Parc des Princes.
Garnets who, like PSG, had bowed by the smallest of margins during their first two outings in the French league, against Monaco (0-1) and Lille (1-0).
Not for Paris, which needs more than a victory in the current context.
Especially since it will have been acquired in pain (1-0).
Admittedly, the Red and Blue generally dominated the debates (20 strikes to 7, 71.8% of possession), but they had to wait for a saving goal signed Julian Draxler in stoppage time to breathe (90 + 2) and pocket the three points.
Their first three of the season (the ranking here), after setbacks in Lens (1-0) and against the Marseille rival (0-1).
“The important thing was victory.
After two defeats, a draw at home, that would have complicated things a little more, ”breathed the Parisian captain, Marquinhos, on
Telefoot
.
"
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For the way, however, we will come back.
Moreover, the Messins can blame themselves, because after the expulsion of Abdou Diallo (second yellow card, 65th) and the exit on injury of Juan Bernat (knee, 86th), their hosts finished ... nine against eleven!
“If we lose, it's our fault, plague Vincent Hognon.
The goal that we take nine against eleven is forbidden.
And when you don't score, you can't win.
We are stupidly trapped.
Lack of support in the surface.
It is an action that should not even exist nine against eleven! "
And yet ...
"This team has once again shown that it has an extraordinary" spirit ""
Thomas tuchel
Between the many absent (Neymar, Mbappé, Verratti, Kehrer, Paredes, Kurzawa, Florenzi), little or no training for players affected by Covid-19 (Marquinhos, Icardi) and the scenario of the meeting, Thomas Tuchel, he did not shun his pleasure in a press conference.
“I am very proud,” he enthuses.
To stay in this game after Juan (Bernat) was injured is incredible, really.
This team has once again shown that it has an extraordinary "spirit".
The supporters can be proud.
We still deserved to win, in the last minutes, nine against eleven.
It's strong, very strong. ”
Like the performance of Angel Di Maria, as transparent last Sunday as ubiquitous Wednesday night.
“I don't have the words.
It's a gift for each coach to have him in his team, ”summarizes coach Tuchel, also delighted with the efforts of the striker, Draxler.
“Quality, he has it.
If he plays with that mentality, he can be a very important player for us, ”he promises.
"
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Except that there is obviously not only positive to take away from this match on the Parisian side.
We will highlight in particular the lack of effectiveness of the champions of France.
It took them… 42 shots to score their first goal of the season.
Last year, they had already found the net eight times after hitting so much.
And they had also scored their first goal in 2019-20 on their third shot.
“It's very easy to explain.
We lack attackers, justifies "Herr Tuchel".
We had four forwards last season.
There, we only played with a real striker, Mauro.
Angel and Pablo (Sarabia) are half-space players.
We play without training too.
It's missing.
If we can do the same without something without these players, why would they have been there with us in a season in which we were very successful? "
With Mbappé, Verratti and Kehrer in Nice?
With a little luck, Kylian Mbappé will be back on Sunday, in Nice (1 p.m.).
In other areas of play, Marco Verratti and Thilo Kehrer are also hoped for.
Alessandro Florenzi will be operational.
Neymar, Leo Paredes and Layvin Kurzawa will miss the call.
Because it was the other news of the evening, the decisions of the Disciplinary Commission after the Classic.
The first two take two firm matches and one suspended.
Six matches for the third.
And yet, Angel Di Maria could also be sanctioned for his spitting towards Alvaro Gonzalez.
It will be heard next Wednesday by the Commission.
Abdou Diallo, automatically suspended after his expulsion against Metz, will also miss Nice.
Juan Bernat?
"I fear a serious knee injury", explained Tuchel Wednesday evening, not having any illusions about the outcome of the exams.
In the meantime, Mitchell Bakker is therefore the only left-back available for Nice.
"It's better that I do not say what I think, because I want to be on the bench for the next match", slipped the Bavarian technician about the Disciplinary Commission.
"
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In short, Paris has taken a breath of fresh air.
And it was not luxury.
But not all problems are solved.
The climate remains heavy, with the many criticisms that hover over Thomas Tuchel in particular, his management of the group.
RMC
reported Wednesday, before the match against FC Metz, that some players have many questions about him, and that the concerns do not date from yesterday.
Worries hitherto stifled by victories ... The former Dortmund coach just has to round back, work, and hope to recover most of his workforce as quickly as possible.
History to bring down the pressure.
But a new misstep on the side of Nice could quickly erase the benefits of this victory.
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League 1 standings
