Diminished by several major absences, Paris SG conceded a heavy defeat against FC Barcelona (22-30) Thursday at home in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League which will force it to achieve a feat in a week in Catalonia for see the last square. Five days after the slap received in the Coupe de France final against Nantes (31-23), the Parisians have turned the other cheek and will have to take inspiration from footballers if they want to see the Final Four in Cologne like last year .
With eight goals behind, they are however condemned to a comeback much more improbable than that of the Mbappé gang, last week in the quarter-finals of the Champions League (4-1 after a 3-2 defeat in the first leg). ). To compete with Barça, this PSG was too handicapped by the physical problems which led coach Raul Gonzalez to play on the left wing the young Wallem Peleka, Leo Plantin and Adama Keita in the absence of David Balaguer (calf ) and Mathieu Grébille (ankle), present on the match sheet but not entered into play.
Elohim Prandi, who took a blow to his left knee against Nantes on Saturday, returned to the locker room after only a few minutes and did not reappear. The Parisians held on with these patches during the first period, reached with a lead of three units (14-11), buoyed by the insolent goal success of Andreas Palicka, who had a ratio of 50% of saves to after a quarter of an hour (5/10). And barely less at the break (8/18 owes 44%, including two penalties). In attack, Kent Robin Tonnesen, the only confirmed professional right-back, ensured (4/4 at half-time) and, after a difficult first quarter, the pivot Kamil Syprzak had some ammunition behind the Catalan defense .
But the Parisian house collapsed in the second half, with its youngsters sent to the fire (Yoann Gibelin and Sadou Ntanzi in addition to Keita and Peleka) multiplying the approximations and forced shots on which the Spanish goalkeeper Gonzalo Perez de Vargas (10/ 20), who entered the quarter-hour mark in place of Emil Nielsen, had no trouble shining. Nikola Karabatic hardly played in the second half and the Parisian defense, where Luka Karabatic was handicapped by two temporary exclusions taken in the 17th minute, took on water under the attacks of Barça’s French backs Melvyn Richardson ( 6/10) and Dika Mem (7/10) and in the seven-on-six game, leaving the cage empty, which Raul Gonzalez tried without success. After conceding an 8-1 to start the second period (16-19, 44th), PSG drank the chalice to the dregs, despite a strong moment which brought it back to three lengths (22-25) to the start of the last five minutes.