Eat well, sleep well and get well. Without consulting themselves, PSG players were on the same wavelength and used this formula, dear to Kylian Mbappé, during his passage in the capital, when projecting themselves towards the continuation of the competition. First of their group, the European champions have completed their share of the contract by quietly having Seattle Americans on Monday evening (2-0), thanks to goals from KVaratkshelia and Hakimi, and will be at the meeting of the club World Cup.
This will take place on Sunday, June 29 in Atlanta (6 p.m., noon local time), against Inter Miami of Lionel Messi, for necessarily tasty reunions.
Six days now separate the Parisians from their next challenge against the Americans and this fairly substantial rest beach in an exhausting competition will not be too much for a workforce that is gradually starting to feel the weight of the sequence of meetings. Marquinhos’ partners completed their 61st game of the season on Monday and if they did not necessarily need to work to get rid of the Sounders, one could discern a form of physical fatigue on the field of Lumen Field, despite much milder temperatures (19 degrees). The start of the men’s men of Luis Enrique was notably whispering against a team that has evolved again with a binding low block and in a global way, the Parisian game was once again less spectacular, as against Botafogo.
“Each team tries to put us in trouble,” says João Neves. It was hot, the terrain was not good. We feel fatigue, but it’s okay. I give all day and I will do that until the end. We have a large staff that gives us all the keys to recover. The defeat against Botafogo (1-0) had not arranged the affairs of Luis Enrique which was forced to align an almost type team to ensure qualification in the final phase, while the initial plan was rather to offer rest to executives during this third group match.
“It’s not easy to play after this long season”
Instead, the holders have chained and six elements – Donnarumma, Hakimi, Pacho, Vitinha, Kvaratskhelia and Goué – started all the first round games in the space of eight days. A fairly crazy rhythm at the end of an already energy -consuming season. “Yes, we feel that fatigue is there. I think it shows, admits Vitinha. This is the case for us, but for other teams too. If we are not good, we will not hide behind fatigue and the amount of matches. But it’s true, it exists … you have to get back well to be ready for the next one because we want to go until the end of the competition. We focus on the next match. »»
How do Parisians manage to find the motivation and energy necessary to pass over this exhaustion? The shadow work carried out daily by the Parisian staff, very attentive to the recovery of his men, is important. The common desire to complete a historic season in style, with a new trophy in pocket, also bears the red group and blue determined to rally the New Jersey on July 13 to play the final.
“The important thing was victory. It’s not easy to play after this long season, prolongs Gianluigi Donnarumma. The club’s goal, players, supporters is to go to the end. This is our main objective. Now you have to recover. We are very tired. We played a lot of matches. It is reality. We have a few days ahead of us to recover before the round of 16. You have to train well, eat well and stay focused to have good physical condition. The whole PSG must arrive until the end of the competition. »»
“We try not to watch the amount of matches already played …”
Thanks to its evening success, the Parisian club has found appetite and once again displayed its ambitions for the rest of its competition … Ousmane Dembélé, expected in the next match, will bring a little freshness, while Bradley Barcola, a decisive passer for Hakimi and very legs, is an additional cartridge at the edge of this final phase that PSG approaches with envy.
“It is a great opportunity to play a club world. As the coach told us, we do not know when this opportunity will represent, explains Vitinha. Many things can happen, you have to take advantage of the present because it is a big competition. We try not to look back or the quantity of matches already played and we focus on the joy of playing and being here. »»
Elected man of the match, Achraf Hakimi symbolizes this mixture of fatigue fairly well – the Moroccan played his 65th match of the season – and determination after an endless year. “I am an ambitious player, a competitor, adds the right side. I always want to win that it is at PlayStation with my friends or here with PSG. We are asked to win all the time and we are here to win all the competitions we are arguing. »PSG is only four games of happiness … and a well -deserved rest.
