PSG challenges Real Sociedad this Wednesday, in the round of 16 first leg of the Champions League. Kick-off at 9 p.m. A match broadcast on Canal and RMC Sport 1. You can also follow it live with commentary on our site. Note that the two teams will meet again in three weeks, on March 5, on the Anoeta lawn, in San Sebastian, for the return match.
With. Spared against Lille (3-1) after seeing his left ankle turn badly four days previously against Brest (3-1), Kylian Mbappé resumed training on Sunday in Poissy. “He would have played if it had been a final,” commented Luis Enrique, who will be able to count on his top scorer this Wednesday (30 goals in 29 matches). Note that Paris Saint-Germain will ultimately only be deprived of Milan Skriniar and long-term absentees Nuno Mendes and Presnel Kimpembe. At this stage of the season, it’s a small miracle and in any case not a habit for Paris-SG… Returning from the Asian Cup, the South Korean Kang-in Lee must appear in the band. The Basques are certainly without Aihen Muñoz, Alvaro Odriozola, Carlos Fernández, Sheraldo Becker, Kieran Tierney, all injured, and Aritz Elustondo, suspended. They remained in the Basque Country. Captain Mikel Oyarzabal made the trip to Paris. It nonetheless remains uncertain.
Undefeated since their setback in Milan (2-1) on November 7, a series of 17 matches without defeat, PSG arrives launched. The clash against Brest (2-2) in the championship may have given rise to some doubts, especially since we have sometimes seen the Parisians lack control and solidity at times in recent weeks. The victories against Brest (3-1) in the Coupe de France and Lille (3-1) in Ligue 1 represented two successful tests for the Rouge et Bleu, solid leaders in the French championship standings and qualified for the quarter-finals of French Cup. Not helped by injuries, Real Sociedad is slowing down. Imanol Alguacil’s players remain in four matches without winning or scoring, including three 0-0 and a defeat against neighbors Osasuna (0-1), in La Liga, last Saturday. Still in contention in the Copa del Rey (0-0 at Mallorca in the semi-final first leg), they are seventh in La Liga.
Returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2013-14, Real Sociedad did well by finishing undefeated (3 wins, 3 draws), with only two small goals conceded, and ahead of the outgoing European vice-champions of Inter Milan in the standings of Group D. Same number of points (12) for both teams and two draws in direct confrontations (1-1 at Anoeta, 0-0 at San Siro). The Basques won thanks to a better goal difference (5 against 3), Benfica having taken third place and Salzburg, fourth. The Parisians, for their part, finished second in the “group of death” with eight small points, the lowest total in the QSI era, behind Dortmund (11 pts) but ahead of Milan (8 pts), thanks to the results in the direct confrontations (2-0 in Paris, 1-2 in Italy). Newcastle, who crushed Paris from the start (4-1), finished last.
“We will be much stronger in February,” declared Luis Enrique in December, after Dortmund (1-1). Promise kept? “Yes, I think we are stronger now. And we’re going to show it,” insists Vitinha. One thing is certain: the incessant turnover allows Luis Enrique to rely on a complete group, with a maximum of players involved and in rhythm, as we saw last Saturday with a reshuffled 11. PSG also seems to have found the right tempo between strong possession and devastating transitions. The trio composed of Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Kylian Mbappé is lethal in this register. Despite the remarkable performance of several usual substitutes on Saturday, the starting 11 should, for once, not be very surprising: Donnarumma in the goals, Achraf Hakimi, Danilo Pereira and Lucas Hernandez behind, Vitinha and Warren Zaire-Emery in the middle and the three arrows previously mentioned in front. A priori, there is still one place to take: Manuel Ugarte for punch, Marco Asensio for technique, Kang-in Lee for fluidity? Present at a press conference on Tuesday at the PSG Campus, Fabian Ruiz is also applying. Place your bets.
UEFA chose an Italian to lead the debates, the man called Marco Guida. If he is unknown to Real, the 42-year-old referee has already met Paris once: it was in 2021, during a success against Leipzig (3-2). A surprising choice? A little, knowing that Mr. Guida only has seven Champions League matches to his name, including three this season. He notably refereed the Lensoise victory over Arsenal (2-1) at the start of the campaign. However, we saw him at work in three C1 play-off matches and 20 in the Europa League, including 10 in the play-offs.