After the home defeat in the first game (4: 1), Barcelona hope for a miracle tonight against PSG • For that to happen, the Catalans must stop Killian Ambape, the fastest footballer in the world
Pika is desperate to stop Ambape.
Iconic image
Photo:
AFP
To complete the evening against PSG a makeover that will force the Catalan dictionaries to update the value "Remontade", tonight Barcelona need two things: a miracle, and stop Killian Ambape.
Assuming miracles do not happen every day, and it is doubtful if they can happen every four years and two days, Ronald Koeman's team is left with the mission it failed in three weeks ago.
Even though Neymar and Angel Di Maria were not on the pitch at the Camp Nou, Barcelona's defense collapsed against the French star, who finished the game with a spectacular hat-trick.
Ambape not only took the game ball home with him as a souvenir, but also a picture: that of Gerard Pique trying to catch him in a shirt without success.
This picture, which has already become iconic, tells more about the PSG striker than about the Barcelona stopper.
She embodies the thing that sets Ambape apart from the rest, his most notable trait, the element that gives him a huge advantage over almost every defensive player in the world: speed.
So true, Pique is not the fastest brake in the world and he just returned from injury straight to the critical game, but this picture largely showed where the game is going.
The older generation, in this case the 34-year-old Barça brake, is unable to keep up with the new generation, which Ambape most faithfully represents.
Because today, much more than in the past, footballers are also athletes at the highest levels.
Strong, agile, phenomenally fit and fast.
"He is abnormal"
A week and a half before the hat-trick against Barça, Ambape scored against Marseille a goal that highlighted his mesmerizing speed.
After the foundation of the opposing ball is out sprint that ended with a goal at the other end, a run of 99 yards top speed of 36 mph. Everything was superbly timed - its location at the time the Fund, the route he has chosen, and the moment when urged to not enter offside.
This course It was not the first time he had done it. In 2017, in extra time against Lille, Ambape took a ball on one side of the pitch and finished it on the other, even though on the way a few feet tried to cut it.
A year later, the World Cup in Russia, he left Argentina dust when reached 37.4 miles per hour and was friends nicknamed "Mr. 37". At the end of the game View Hugo Lloris the future when he said: "He can kill teams with his speed."
In 2019 , When he destroyed the Monaco ex with a hat-trick, Ambape has already accelerated to a top speed of 38 mph.
At this point, comparisons to the world record in the 100 meters began with Usain Bolt, who set his peak in 2009 at an average speed of 37.5 km / h, which peaked at 44.5 km / h.
Pochettino and Coman.
A fateful evening for both coaches // Photo: GettyImages
Ambape is still not the fastest man in the world, but according to the data he is the fastest footballer.
The Frenchman Stefan Christian, the former European 110-meter hurdles champion, tried to explain to L'Equipe a few years ago what makes him so.
"He runs like a sprinter," said the one who set a peak of 13.20 seconds, "his heel does not cross the knee line and his legs barely touch the ground. Over the years he will develop more muscles and his first step will improve even more."
Sven Botman, a night brake that kept Ambape 0-0 between the teams in December, made it clear that he needs to be close to him to understand what it is: "I promise you - he does not just look fast on TV," said the Dutchman. "I saw something like that. It's not normal."
Speed like Ambape's is an asset, that's obvious, but like any asset you need to know how to use it.
Since arriving in Paris, Mauricio Pochettino has been doing just that and placing his star on the wings, mostly on the right, so that he has space and a track to accelerate on.
Of the 25 goals scored this season by the 22-year-old star in all competitions, 11 have come in the past month and a half since being appointed to the position of Argentine coach.
In Neymar's absence, Ambape gains much more freedom of action up front.
He is the first and main address of his teammates, and the opposing teams fail to get along with him.
Tonight he meets Barcelona again, who this time must do things quickly, and as is well known - quickly today there is no one who can handle Ambape.