By Gilles Festor and Baptiste Desprez
Where and how to follow the meeting?
The shock is scheduled at the Parc des Princes, still behind closed doors this Wednesday evening at 9:00 p.m.
The meeting will be broadcast live on RMC Sport 1 which will be on air from 7:30 p.m.
The pre-match will also be to follow from 8:00 p.m. on the Figaro.fr and Sport24.com website, giving way to the kick-off live commentary.
What about the forces present in Paris and Manchester?
Who says gala poster, says presence of stars on the lawn of the Parc des Princes. For this meeting at the top, all the forces of the two clubs are expected at kick-off. In Paris, Neymar and Mbappé will lead, with Di Maria and Verratti, the PSG attack. Uncertainty still hangs around Marquinhos, injured against Bayern Munich in the quarter-final first leg and present in the group. On this question, Pep Guardiola has his own idea. “Marquinhos will play, for sure, he breathed Tuesday at a press conference without hiding his smile. He doesn't want to miss this game. And I want him to play. " If Mauricio Pochettino feels he is in full possession of his means, the Parisian captain will be there. Sign of an almost empty infirmary with the sole absence of Bernat. Same thing at Manchester City.A doubt surrounded the presence of the star and the master to play Kevin De Bruyne, but the Belgian will be there. And so much the better for the show. Without forgetting Sterling, Bernardo, Jesus, Mahrez or even the Foden nugget. So many big names ready to offer a meeting of a very high level.
Why do we speak of "golfico" for this poster?
The nickname may make you smile but testifies to a deep rivalry between Qatar, owner of Paris SG since 2011 and Abu Dhabi, which bought Manchester City in 2008. The two neighbors of the Gulf, with almost planetary ambitions, have a long-standing hatred. which goes well beyond the simple football field and the meeting between them Wednesday night. Two countries with a Bedouin tradition - far removed from mass sports practice - but which use football as a means of strengthening their influence around the world. Imposed by the Saudi big brother, the hatchet was officially buried last January between the two main stakeholders. But no one is fooled: Qataris and Emiratis continue to look at each other like faience dogs.The winner of the “Golfico” in these long awaited and particularly scrutinized Champions League semi-finals will therefore not fail to show off his success in the eyes of the sports world.
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Who emerges as the winner of the precedents between the two teams?
Manchester City and Paris SG have faced each other three times on the European chessboard.
A first time in 2008 in the group stage of the Europa League for a sad 0-0 but at the time, the club of the capital was not yet under the Qatari flag.
The two clubs met in 2016 in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with the qualification of the English team (2-2 at the Parc des Princes and 1-0 for Manchester City at Etihad Stadium).
A failure marked by the failed tactical bet of Laurent Blanc in the second leg with the implementation of a completely unexpected 3-5-2 instead of the usual 4-3-3.
A system that he had never tested on the Parisian bench at the time.
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Mauricio Pochettino and Pep Guardiola, who took over?
The verdict is final. In twelve years of face-to-face, between FC Barcelona and Manchester City for the 50-year-old Spaniard and Espanyol Barcelona then Tottenham for the 49-year-old Argentinian, the first city retains a large ascendancy over its counterpart. In 18 games, "Pep" dominated "Poche" with 10 wins, 5 draws and 3 losses on the clock. In the Champions League, the record of the two main interested parties is balanced with a victory each, but a qualification in the semi-final of the C1 in April 2019 for the current technician of the PSG. During a memorable double confrontation and remained in all the minds of lovers of this sport with a success of Tottenham in the first leg (1-0) and a defeat at the end of the suspense in a crazy match won 4-3 by the Citizens . That year, the Spurs swill lose in the final against Liverpool.
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