The good news is that Paris don’t have to win in Madrid to qualify for the Champions League quarter-finals. In Ligue 1, on the 27th day, the capital club won neither in Marseille, nor in Rennes, nor in Nice, nor in Lyon, nor in Lens, nor in Nantes, and once morest any member of the top 8 of the championship outside that he met (he still has a trip to Strasbourg). Something to worry regarding before his huge challenge from Madrid, following no success either far from the Park in the Champions League. He has even just fallen twice in a row in L 1, following a setback in Nantes.
By first scrutinizing this Nice-PSG with a view to the Parisians’ trip to Spain, on March 9 during the round of 16 second leg, a few snippets of information arose, these concordant bundles which determine the truth of the moment, in addition confirmation of their blocking once they have left the Porte de Saint-Cloud. Thus, if Keylor Navas started this Saturday in Nice (he was already in the game at Beaujoire), he has a great risk of sitting on the bench this Wednesday at the Bernabeu, according to the rule and the statistics which derive from the decisions. by Mauricio Pochettino.
Di Maria more and more annoying
With one exception, the Argentine coach has always established a goalkeeper in the league who was not the one who started in the next match when Europe came. If Gianluigi Donnarumma starts well once morest Real and when he has already played the first leg, it will be an induction into the rank of number 1 in the hierarchy. Obviously without saying so. Pochettino does but never explains, he feels he does not have to detail his policy, which makes it unreadable.
Another big clue: by launching Georginio Wijnaldum, giving him a new chance that the Dutchman did not take, Pochettino leaves himself plenty of time to decide between Leandro Paredes, affected in the adductors, and Gana Gueye, a little lost sight of since. his victory at the CAN with Senegal, to accompany Marco Verratti and Danilo Pereira in the middle. Finally, one certainty: even if he is not in good shape, with a terrible difficulty in creating differences with the ball at his feet, Neymar has no risk of seeing his place threatened by Angel Di Maria, more and more annoying, between a staggering non-activity and a weak use of the ball, in figures as in influence.
Without Mbappé, it sleeps
Obviously, the attacking trio was not helped by its lack of complementarity, with requests in the feet for the three and no varied calls, except twice for Di Maria in depth on service from Neymar (9th, 73rd). It looked like someone was missing, a complete striker, the night when, well, Kylian Mbappé was suspended. Without the world champion, it purrs ahead, it even sleeps. Wednesday he will be there. All of Madrid is waiting for him. But the PSG too.
Match sheet
Half time: 0-0. Referee: Willy Delajod.
But : Delort (88th). Warning. Nice: Lemina (33e).
Nice : Benitez – Daniliuc (Lotomba, 79e), Todibo, Dante (cap.), Bard – Lemina (Schneiderlin, 70e), Kluivert (Boudaoui, 86e), K. Thuram (Stengs, 79e), Rosario – Dolberg (Delort, 70e) , Gouiri. Entr. : Galtier.
PSG: Navas – Kehrer (Draxler, 90e), Marquinhos (cap.), Diallo, Bernat – Danilo, Verratti, Wijnaldum (Gueye, 90e) – Di Maria (Icardi, 79e), Messi, Neymar. Entr. : Pochettino.
