Paris SG will have to ignore the current tensions between Kylian Mbappé and coach Luis Enrique to return to the quarter-finals of the Champions League after two years of absence, Tuesday against Real Sociedad, by capitalizing on their lead in the first leg.
Published on: 04/03/2024 – 16:08
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After eliminations in the round of 16 during the last two editions, PSG has a dream opportunity to reach the European Top 8 at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastián. Winners 2-0 at the Parc des Princes on February 14, the Parisians, solid leaders in L1, have a theoretically comfortable mattress before coming up against a Basque team plagued by doubt and which conceded a fifth defeat in six matches , Saturday in Seville (3-2).
But the capital club has for several days been plunged into an atmosphere of latent crisis and the context has become much more tense and burning since superstar Kylian Mbappé announced to its leaders his intention to leave the club at the end of the season.
“Getting used to playing without Mbappé…”
His replacement at half-time on Friday in Monaco (0-0), after two other matches deliberately truncated by Luis Enrique against Nantes and Rennes, thus caused a shock with still unknown consequences.
The tremors of the earthquake were felt as far away as Spain, where everything relating to Mbappé is very sensitive, with Real Madrid being the overwhelming favorite to welcome the captain of the France team in four months.
Luis Enrique spoke of a strictly sporting decision, repeating that “we will have to get used to playing without Kylian Mbappé”.
But the attitude of the player, who did not join the PSG bench after leaving the locker room on Friday, taking his time to walk around the pitch then sit in the stands alongside his mother, reinforced the thesis of a big discomfort between the two men.
Mbappé’s entourage, however, worked to clear up any controversy with the media. The striker and Luis Enrique also had a “ positive exchange » during the clean-up after the match in Monaco, Saturday morning, according to a source close to the matter.
The episode could nevertheless leave its mark. As Tuesday’s crucial meeting approaches, the former Spain coach is taking the risk of alienating his top scorer – 32 goals in all competitions this season, far ahead of Randal Kolo Muani’s nine and eight by Gonçalo Ramos.
Unfortunate history for PSG
In the event of a misstep in San Sebastian, his management of the Mbappé case will inevitably be a source of debate and he will emerge extremely weakened from the episode, less than a year after his appointment.
The Luis Enrique-Mbappé standoff therefore added a lot of pressure to a trip which, on paper, has nothing to scare the Parisians.
In poor form, Real Sociedad is stagnating in 7th place in La Liga and has also just been eliminated from the Copa del Rey by Mallorca. In its last 10 matches, the Basque club has five defeats, three draws and only two victories.
In addition to the tensions around Mbappé, PSG’s history in the Champions League is the main source of hope for the Basques. Paris has been able, in the past, to let slip an advantage acquired in the first leg (the famous Barcelona “comeback” of 2017, but also against Manchester United in 2019 and Real Madrid in 2022). And he is anything but calm away from home in C1 this season: 4-1 defeat at Newcastle and 2-1 at San Siro against AC Milan, draw with difficulty obtained at Dortmund (1-1) to qualify at the last minute in the round of 16.
But despite this unfortunate history, an elimination at this stage of the competition against such an opponent would be a huge surprise, coupled with terrible disillusionment.
