PSG-Reims: Icardi has three games to save his season

With him, it's day and night.

Even very often at night.

However, Wednesday in Montpellier in the Coupe de France, Mauro Icardi proved that he had not lost his legs.

In the space of 90 minutes, he showed that he can be valuable to the collective as long as his team have the ball and don't run behind.

Uncomfortable, even useless, as soon as the team is no longer playing, the former Interiste had gone completely through the semi-final return of C1 against City.

At La Mosson, he distinguished himself by his mobility, his sense of placement and his supportive play even if he should have been more killer on his three scoring chances.

In his ability to play with others, Icardi signed his best game on Wednesday night since the trip to Barcelona (1-4) on February 16.

A mirage in the season for the Argentinian who has three games left to end on a more glorious note.

It starts with Reims this Sunday, then Monaco in the Coupe de France final and Brest to conclude.

Three games he aspires to start.

Door open to a departure

Internally, Icardi's performance has been appealing for a long time now.

Especially since almost a year ago, when he signed up for four seasons in exchange for 50 million euros, plus 8 million bonuses and an estimated annual salary of 10 million euros, Icardi was then a good deal for PSG.

This is no longer really the case today, despite his 10 goals scored since the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino (1 goal every 125 minutes).

Its rating on the market has fallen (35 million) and the door to departure is now wide open.

Read alsoMauro Icardi, the mystery of Paris

His recent goals against Saint-Etienne (3-2), Angers (5-0) or Metz (3-1) only illustrate his inconstancy for many months.

As voluntary as surgical during his first season (20 goals and 4 assists in 31 appearances), the Parisian n ° 9 was no longer the same after a hat-trick against Saint-Etienne on January 8, 2020. After the first confinement, he dragged his spleen and his overweight to cross the Final 8 on the bench (1 start in quarter).

The transition game does not suit him

Affected by the coronavirus on his return from Lisbon, but above all upset at not having played more, Icardi no longer made the same efforts afterwards, continuing to juggle the extra pounds, much to Leonardo's dismay. His lifestyle has been the subject of recurring discussions, even if improvements have been noted since the arrival of Pochettino.

The 28-year-old center-forward has been back to work lately and is injured less.

He played 21 games with "Poche", against 5 in the first part of the season.

This does not make him the right attacker for his coach, adept at the transition game.

"If PSG plays its games based on accelerations and ultra-fast transitions, it's more complicated for Icardi who does not have the explosiveness and the power to go there alone", confirms Federico Balzaretti, the former Italian international, consultant on RMC Sport.

The configuration should not be this one against the Rémois, this Sunday (9 p.m.).

The opportunity for Icardi to remember the good memories of his double scored against this same team in September 2020. A clearing in the fog at the time.

Bis repetita?