What if they had turned the tables? Lead by example, lead the way and unveil the way forward to their glorious elders? A few hours before seeing Mbappé, Neymar, Messi and the rest of the stars of PSG embark on the race for qualification for the knockout stages of the Champions League, the Parisian U19s did the job on Wednesday in Manchester .
And even better still. In the heart of the cool Mancunian afternoon, they first secured their place for the next round of the Youth League by winning against the young Citizens. On the lawn of the City Academy, nestled in the impressive training center planted at a glance from the Etihad Stadium, the Titis have mainly led their boat like adults, taking care to associate the way to this result without appeal (0-3).
If they joined Bruges, winner a little earlier from Leipzig (4-1) at the top of the group, thus offering themselves a “final” against the Belgians for the 1st directly qualifying place for the 1 / 8th (the 2nd plays him a jump-off comparable to the 16th), it is to their seriousness and their rigor, that the troops of Zoumana Camara owe it. But also and above all to the intractable Djeidi Gassama. He who, during the first leg, saw the British snatch the equalizer (1-1) at the end of the game while they were playing in double inferiority, set the record straight with those who had then deprived him, him and the his, of precious success.
Not content to shine in a U19 championship that PSG dominates head and shoulders (10 wins, 1 draw, 1 defeat), the striker of Mauritanian origin was the “Monsieur Plus” of PSG on Wednesday, signing a double and an assist. What does it matter in this context that the Titis suffered somewhat at the end of the game and saw the young Rico Lewis reduce the mark following a magnificent control oriented in the area (84th).
And for good reason, Paris and Gassama had since, a moment already, assured the victory. Far from the football he played for a long time in the street in Mauritania, the one who started in a club in Carrières-sous-Poissy where he joined his father who came to work in France, has shown that he was not there to laugh . After seeing his head at the far post blocked by the Mancunian goalkeeper (27th), he left him no chance when Simons offered him a caviar, converted from the flat of the foot, shortly before the break (40th). On the return from the locker room, however, he offered the second almost on his own. Although shifted by Kari, he made his technique speak by eliminating his opponent with a fake strike from the right to double the mark from the left at close range (49th). The top Parisian scorer, now 5 goals in the Youth League, did not stop there since he concluded his performance by offering the third Parisian goal to Odebert after a ride on the left side (80th).
“He is in line with what he usually does,” Zoumana Camara said. He has canes, he is powerful, is good one on one… I try to make him understand that he has to alternate, the game with and without the ball. But he is a player who listens, he progresses very quickly. “Progress that will have to be made, also El Chadaille Bitshiabu and Ismaël Gharbi. Initially planned to be holders, the defender and his middle friend were invited to stay on the bench for being late for the talk. “Nothing serious, assures Camara who remembers that Frédéric Antonetti had reserved the same fate for him when he started with Bastia. The players apologized, it’s part of their learning. But the group comes first. “
MANCHESTER CITY – PSG : (0-1)
Spectators: 400.
Arbiter: MM Maae.
Buts. Manchester City : Lewis (84e), Gassama (40e, 49e), Odebert (81e).
Warnings. PSG: Zaire-Emery (15th).
Manchester City : Van Sas – Egan-Riley, Burns, Mbele (cap.), Lewis – Lavia – Chagas (Medube, 72e), Charles, Bobb, Wilson-Esbrand – O’Reilly. Entr. : Barry-Murphy.
PSG: Lavallée – Bodiang (cap.), Fernandez-Veliz, El Hannach, Mungu – Zaire-Emery, Michut, Kari (Weidmann, 78th) – Odobert (Noireau-Dauriat, 86th), Simons (Yansane, 70th), Gassama (Gharbi, 86th). Entr. : Camara.
