Ahead of Manchester City’s massive Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain, I spoke to French football journalist and Ligue 1 expert Jonathan Johnson (@Jon_LeGossip) to get the lowdown on Laurent Blanc’s side.
How would you sum up PSG’s season?
Very good, so far. PSG are already Ligue 1 champions and they are looking good in the Coupe de France and Coup de la Ligue too. Reaching the Champions League quarterfinals, depending on the draw, was the absolute minimum. However, Les Parisiens’ real objective this campaign is to reach at least the semi-finals in Europe. Manchester City, while offering PSG a test, also offer them a better chance to reach the last four than a clash with either Barcelona or Bayern Munich. Consequently, the result over both legs against City will determine how successful this term has been for PSG.
PSG have had a very relaxed season in Ligue 1 – winning the title by a good margin – how do you think that will affect them going into this game?
I think that winning Ligue 1 early will actually benefit PSG. We have seen it work against Bayern Munich in the past but for Laurent Blanc’s men, they seem to view Le Championnat as a nuisance. With it out of the way and only cup competitions to consider, I think Les Parisiens will have been mentally preparing for the Manchester City, Lorient and Lille matches. Do not be surprised to see PSG raise their game considerably against these opponents. That said, it is true that the men from the French capital have slacked off a bit since winning the Ligue 1 title. That could make it harder to raise their performance to a level similar to City.
How big of a miss are the absences of Marco Verratti and Javier Pastore?
Verratti is a huge miss, as is Pastore. However, the Italy international is arguably the bigger of the two. Without both, PSG are devoid of most of their creativity. However, Verratti and El Flaco have been unavailable because of injury so often this season, that the team are accustomed to playing without them for the moment.
PSG have a very high profile squad. Are there any dark horses that City need to watch out for?
PSG’s attacking threats are well-documented but there are still some unsung players in this team. Blaise Matuidi is an absolute beast in midfield and remains very much underrated, despite being the motor of the team both for club and country. Adrien Rabiot is another player City should keep an eye on, he has a future and slipped through the Citizens’ fingers a few years ago. Otherwise, Maxwell is an unerringly consistent performer, despite his advancing years. Many will be surprised that a 34-year-old is still capable of doing some of the things that the Brazilian does.
Who do you think will be a bigger miss – Verratti or Toure?
Considering the strength of quality depth that PSG are able to call upon, I think Toure is a bigger miss for City. Without the Ivory Coast international in the midfield, Pellegrini’s men look vulnerable. Even with Verratti missing, PSG should be able to win the battle for midfield supremacy thanks to Rabiot, Thiago Motta and Blaise Matuidi.
Which City player do you fear the most?
That is a tough one. It is a toss-up between Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero. Both are fantastic players and arguably two of the only City players who could walk into PSG’s starting XI. If I had to choose one, I would say the Belgian. Without him, City looked lost. Now that he is back, the team has suddenly been reinvigorated and they look capable of scoring multiple goals in every game.
And, finally, a score prediction please.
2-0 to PSG. It is absolutely imperative that the French champions keep a clean sheet in Paris and I think that they will.
