Paris-SG hosts Losc this Friday, at the opening of the 19th day of the championship. A high-stakes shock.
There is no fire at the lake. This is more or less Luis Enrique’s speech since leaving the track in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France on Thursday, against Paris FC (0-1). He’s not wrong. “What’s the problem? Do you think we’re going to win all the trophies, all the matches during each season? Football doesn’t work like that… If there are people who have doubts, I don’t understand it“, he thunders. PSG has already won three trophies since the start of the season (European Super Cup, Intercontinental Cup, Champions Trophy), the Lensois leader is only a small point away in the Ligue 1 standings and everything is going well in the Champions League (3rd in the standings).
However, the European champions are still far from their peak form. And they would be well inspired to use the “slap» – dixit Senny Mayulu – received in front of the PFC to react. And if possible from the reception in Lille this Friday (9 p.m. beIN SPORTS), at the Parc des Princes, during the 18th day of Ligue 1. The Coupe de France is already over. And no one will give the Rouge et Bleu any favors in the French championship or the Champions League.
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Air in February… and recruits?
No offense to the 55-year-old Spanish coach, his players have not (yet?) regained their best level. At the moment, we find instead the Paris-SG of fall 2024, dominant but ineffective. And again, against OM, in the Champions Trophy (2-2, 4-1 tab), they were completely dominated in the game, only getting through it thanks to their exceptional mental resources. The reasons are known (injuries, Club World Cup, decompression, etc.), but there will be no excuse when it comes to the tough matches in C1 at the beginning of March if the Parisians avoid going through the play-offs by having the good idea of finishing in the Top 8 in the Champions League.
They still have to face Sporting (January 20), in Lisbon, and Newcastle (01/28). If their place in the Top 24 is almost assured, they will have to work hard to validate the direct ticket to the 8th. Which would allow them to lighten their schedule a little more. Not luxury. Calendar which has already cleared up a little with the elimination in the Coupe de France. “There will be four fewer Coupe de France matches and, I hope, two C1 matches too. This will allow training to be managed in a different way, the load of minutes,” slips Luis Enrique, who never closed the door to one or more recruits this winter. Last season, we remember the impact of the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in January… “No rush“, he said on Friday.
Already the specter of an (almost) white season
Collectively, it’s not there yet. Individually, certain ex-squatters from the infirmary have not yet regained their best level (Dembélé, Doué…) while some others are sticking out their tongues (Vitinha, Ruiz, Barcola…). “It’s a special season», summarizes Luis Enrique. Once again, there is no fire at the lake, but everything will accelerate in this second part of the season, where everything is at stake. And it is clearly not with their current level that the Rouge et Bleu can dream of a second European coronation. In fact, they must also be careful not to find themselves empty-handed at the end, because the Lensois do not seem determined to give up in L1. A setback against Losc and Paris could be pushed back to four points.
I hope it will be motivation for Ligue 1 and the Champions League, the real competitions, the most important competitions for us.
Luis Enrique
Good news? The poster proposed to Parisians should titillate their ego and boost their motivation, in addition to an expected reaction of pride after the defeat in the Coupe de France. “I hope it will be motivation for Ligue 1 and the Champions League, the real competitions, the most important competitions for us.slips Luis Enrique mischievously, not failing to remind us that he “loves the Coupe de France” anyway.
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Lille is one of the strongholds of the championship, coached by Bruno Genesio who has often found the fault against the big names since his debut on the benches, Paris in France but not only that. “They are a very good team, they play well with and without the ball. We always had difficulties facing them. We know it will be difficult. We have to be ready and win because we want to improve our position in the ranking », insists the Parisian coach, not having forgotten that the Mastiffs stood up to his players in the first leg (1-1), in October.
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Never two without three for Lille?
Except that Losc is not at its best either. In addition to the breakdowns of their leaders and their ultras on the sidelines of the defeat against Rennes (0-2) in Ligue 1, the Mastiffs also left the Coupe de France, beaten by Lyon (1-2) last weekend. A failed match. Two home defeats to start the year. Three would be a stain for Lille. Especially since Olivier Giroud and company, fourth in the French championship with 32 points, have no margin in the standings, already far from Lens and Paris, in the chasing pack with OM (3rd, 32 pts), Lyon (5th, 30 pts) and Rennes (6th, 30 pts).
In short, for Lille too, it is time to react. Generally, the Parc des Princes is not the best place for this. It is up to the Mastiffs to make the statistics lie, or at least to show things in the content after Rennes and Lyon, they who will travel to Vigo next Thursday, in the Europa League. Clearly, the two clubs have things to prove and points to take, with a view to the title of champion of France or a folding seat in C1. The promise of a quality show, of two playful and motivated teams.
