After the break, the Parisians who had been crowned champions after the break are facing the final weeks of the final in the Cup, League Cup and Champions League – after all, a first test match has now taken place, even in front of spectators.
After a four-month break, French champion Paris St.-Germain has returned to the football pitch, and because almost 5,000 spectators were allowed to be there, even Neymar was excited: “A friendly match that feels like a final with a knot in your stomach,” said the Brazilian for the unusual first test with the second division club AC Le Havre. The backdrop to the Parisians’ 9-0 (5-0) victory at Stade Oceane was one of the largest in Europe during the Corona period. German PSG trainer Thomas Tuchel enjoyed it: “It was a surprise to play with fans. We love that because it changes the atmosphere in the stadium.”
In Le Havre it reminded of a good mood summer kick. While Neymar and world champion Kylian Mbappé were celebrating goals, the spectators should keep their distance and use masks – however, a majority of the visitors in the stands did not wear mouth-to-nose protection. The official reactions to the step back towards normality were nevertheless positive: “It is a victory for French football and sport,” said Minister of Sport Roxana Maracineanu. The number of spectators was limited to 5000 according to the current upper limit for public events, the tickets were sold out in six minutes. Maracineanu announced that it would check with the government to see if more people could go to the stadium in the future.
After the long break, the Parisians who were crowned champions after the league break are facing final weeks: In the finals for the French Cup (July 24 against St. Etienne) and League Cup (July 31 against Olympique Lyon), they can create the national triple. On August 12, PSG will then open the Champions League knockout tournament in Lisbon with the quarterfinals against Atalanta Bergamo.
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