"If you read the list of absentees and the group that is there, there will be no great secret to guess the starting line-up", smiled Thomas Tuchel, Tuesday, on the eve of Leipzig-PSG (this Wednesday, 9 p.m. ).
With Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Mauro Icardi, Marco Verratti, Juan Bernat or even Julian Draxler in the infirmary, the German coach does not have much choice.
Especially in front.
He only has three confirmed players left: Pablo Sarabia, Moise Kean and Angel Di Maria.
The latter being the last survivor of the fantastic others, we will expect a lot from him in Leipzig.
The master of the game should be him.
Di Maria is the most consistent player in Red and Blue for a long time.
And his talent is no longer to be demonstrated ... When he indicates that "PSG has other very good players, that many teams in Europe would like to have in their ranks", Julian Nagelsmann is probably thinking, among others, of the 'Argentine.
Di Maria is 82 goals and 94 assists since his arrival in Paris (227 matches), a magical left paw and a more than full CV, including a coronation in C1 with Real Madrid.
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Problem?
Di Maria, 32 and free in 2021, saw his start to the season truncated by a four-match suspension.
“He's always a key player,” says Tuchel, never stingy with compliments to “El Fideo”.
But it also lacks rhythm.
We have to accept that we cannot expect too much from him because he was suspended.
However, he needs rhythm, to play a lot to gain confidence in dribbling and finishing.
This is not the case now.
He could only play in C1.
I don't want to put all the pressure on his shoulders.
But it's super important. ”
"One key is not enough"
Thomas tuchel
Suddenly, "the key will be to have a good structure, a strong, tight collective, to help each other to win", as Private Kehrer asserts.
“A single key won't be enough,” Tuchel swears.
There will be eleven keys and we will do that as a team.
(…) It will be a team effort.
It's always like that in football.
And that's what's most beautiful about football, that it's a team effort. ”
As against Real in 2019, at the very beginning of last season, PSG will have to rely on its group more than on one or two individuality.
And it might not be worse ...
At least that could inspire the group for the weeks to come.
Moreover, the absence of stars and the usual bosses will perhaps allow some to put their noses to the window even more.
It will be necessary.
Exceeding duty will not be an option this Wednesday… “(Neymar and Mbappé) have a lot of qualities.
Others injured too.
But afterwards, we have a lot of players who have a lot of quality and experience, says Thilo Kehrer.
We have confidence in ourselves despite the absent.
And the objective remains to win this match. "
Like a team, then.
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But with an Angel Di Maria at the top or in any case active and inspired, it would still be easier.
The upside is that he will be fresh, unlike a number of his teammates.
"I can feel it, he is very professional and always gives everything in every training session, every game," says Kehrer.
That's good, because the game is worth the candle: PSG is playing big for its future in C1 on Wednesday ... And when it comes time to do the accounts, at the end of the group stage, everyone will have forgotten the absent in this match, physical or mental fatigue, if there should happen a disaster in the form of non-qualifying for the 8th of the "Champions" at the beginning of next year.
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