The post-elimination blues in the Champions League is nothing new at Paris Saint-Germain. Once the hopes of pulling the big ears out of the cup are definitively extinguished, there is still an atmosphere of resignation hovering over the capital, one which rhymes with an end to the season which will necessarily have the taste of ordinary.
The defeat conceded at the Parc against Toulouse (1-3), on the evening of the title celebration, and the sluggish victory in Nice (1-2) three days later bore its mark. Luis Enrique rotated a lot, gave playing time to his youngsters and his second knives in a complicated week which mainly served to digest the elimination against Dortmund.
But now, it’s undoubtedly a different story: although already titled in Ligue 1, Paris must “finish the season in the best possible way”, recalled Luis Enrique at a press conference this Saturday, in Poissy. By closing the Ligue 1 season with a victory, obviously, but also by preparing for a Coupe de France final, on May 25 against Olympique Lyonnais who will play their last championship match at full strength, still hoping to hold on to the Europe.
“There are always different options when preparing for these last two matches,” confessed the Asturian. Do a dress rehearsal, even if everything is already rehearsed after so many matches played, or rotate… I think it will be a bit of both. » As a reminder to his players that the Dortmund page must be turned, he insisted that “there is still one title to play”.
Do not tarnish the memory of a great season
Having my mind elsewhere would be easy. To this Coupe de France final, first of all, but also to the Euro for those who will play it, to the Olympic Games for others, to the sequence of the two for some, to the summer holidays or to the transfer window at come. Opposite, the Messins are almost guaranteed to finish 16th but must absolutely validate this ticket for the play-offs, while 15th place seems too far away.
PSG, which has pleasantly surprised this season with its commitment and involvement, on which it has been able to fail in recent years, must not fall into the trap of nonchalance. So that these last two matches, starting with Sunday against Metz, do not tarnish the memory of such a wonderful exercise.
Also, so that certain players’ farewells to Ligue 1 do not take place on a bad note. There is obviously Kylian Mbappé, who is coming out of a final bittersweet moment at the Parc des Princes and who will play his last Ligue 1 match, at the center of all attention as always.
There will also be Keylor Navas and Layvin Kurzawa, who we are probably a little less likely to see for the final minutes in Paris. “You can imagine what you want,” replied Luis Enrique, mockingly, regarding the potential tenure of Navas. It’s nice to imagine. » See you on Sunday evening to see if the Spaniard has, for his part, imagined an attractive PSG to close the Ligue 1 season.
