From a forced change to a real tactical alternative?
In the Classic, last Sunday (1-0), Christophe Galtier had opted for a four-man defense because of the multiple injuries he was facing in his defensive sector.
While Danilo Pereira - starter against Olympique de Marseille but out through injury - has added to the (long) list of absentees, the Rouge et Bleu coach will bring her back this Friday to face AC Ajaccio.
"
We will play four behind, that's the only information I can give
," he told reporters on Thursday.
Except surprise, Achraf Hakimi and Juan Bernat should start on the sides of the defense;
the central hinge, it,
To discover
Calendar and results Ligue 1
League 1 standings
A transition to four beneficial to Marquinhos
Moreover, this change of system is (very) beneficial to the Parisian captain.
Positioned mainly in the axis of the three-man defense since the start of the season, the Brazilian has struggled to acclimatize to a role to which he is less accustomed.
Even his coach recognized him at a press conference: “
He had to assimilate a different role from what we were able to offer him in previous years, in a three-man defense, very central.
We have seen automatic anticipation with some problems in depth management.
He was able to quickly rectify the situation, better position himself
, ”explained Christophe Galtier.
Read alsoLigue 1: Kimpembe (PSG) soon ready to return to the field
This transition to four allows Paris Saint-Germain to put it in the best possible position and therefore to make the most of it.
"
He has a lot more benchmarks in a four-man defense, it is also important for him to have Marco (Verratti) in front of him, with whom he has been playing for several years
," said the French technician.
SEE ALSO -
Behind the scenes of Paris SG's victory in the Classic (1-0)
Towards a long-term system change?
And since Marquinhos is neither more nor less - with Marco Verratti - than the soul of the Parisian team, why not imagine a real transformation of the long-term system?
This is a possibility that should not (at all) be ruled out.
Especially since the Parisian staff had already considered it a little earlier in the season, after the injury of Presnel Kimpembe (still in recovery), because of a defensive rotation which he then considered too short.
With the mass of absentees and the sequence of matches, it would not be surprising if Christophe Galtier persisted on the path to four defenders until the end of the year, finally until the 2022 World Cup.
Read alsoPSG: Galtier, head down in the storm
On the other hand, at the start of 2023, if Paris Saint-Germain manage to attract Milan Skriniar - already one of their priority targets last summer - as they would like, then we could well see the defense at five make his return.
Indeed, the Rouge et Bleu squad would then have more than enough high-level players - Sergio Ramos, Marquinhos, Presnel Kimpembe, Danilo Pereira, Nordi Mukiele, Milan Skriniar - to deal with all eventualities and keep things running.
One thing is certain, now, with this second pattern of play, the Ile-de-France club offers itself (finally) a real tactical alternative which could help it to be less predictable.
As he did last Sunday, against the Marseille rival.
We must now confirm this Friday evening, in Corsica.