The Pogba Muffler: How Marquinhos' Excellence Man Utd has proven that it was PSG's No. 6 Needs

Who would have thought that when Thomas Tuchel, the director of Paris Saint-Germain, would have experienced Marquinhos as a defensive midfielder, his daring would bear fruit?

The Brazilian international, which is a central advocate of trade, first presented a number of shy demos in an extraterrestrial role, but the German persisted and justified his faith.

In PSG's 2-0 win in the first leg against Manchester United at Old Trafford, he was once again invited to play No. 6. After a difficult start in this role, especially at the the 3-2 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield, he seemed more and more solid and is becoming a point of reference in the locker room.

The test at the Theater of Dreams was highly anticipated. He faced Paul Pogba, who had flourished in 11 matches since Jose Mourinho's dismissal by the Red Devils. most expensive player.

It was a pbaded exam brilliantly by the vice-captain invited.

"The coach has given me an important badignment," he said after the match. The goals of Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe gave PSG an undeniable advantage before the return. "I had to stay alert and attentive because he was full of confidence, he had good matches, he had scored a lot of goals and made a lot of help. We knew that their game would go through him. I had to be focused and stop Manchester's offensive transition. "

Recently nicknamed "Kaiser Franz" by his PSG teammates, Tuchel revealed, Marquinhos has completely killed the French international 's creativity. He followed him like a shadow, never leaving him out of sight but also not neglecting his duty to the team, winning the ball six times, which was more than any other PSG player in the game. except for Kimpembe.

Indeed, so frustrated defender Pogba that the winner of the World Cup has cracked: he was expelled after seeing two yellow cards. He also failed to watch Dani Alves late in the game to impose a second warning, which would deprive him of a return to play in his hometown. Parc des Princes on March 6th.

Although Marquinhos was reluctant to talk after the match, he explained his increasingly mature behavior in the middle of the field and praised Tuchel's influence for his unexpected development in a new position.

"The coach has given me a lot of confidence," he said. "He saw things in me that I did not see. I grow more and more. I am available for the team. I know that I have had a lot of work today against the Manchester United midfielder. "

Unsurprisingly, he was unanimously hailed by his teammates as a result.

Thiago Silva, the captain, called his compatriot's contribution incredible, while midfielder Julian Draxler took a long time to explain the importance of the Brazilian international.

"Against Pogba, it's difficult, but he played very well with and without a ball," he said. "Maybe he prefers to be a defender, but he's very good in that role." He worked very well for the team.

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Nevertheless, it seems unlikely that Marquinhos will become a full-time midfielder. Tuchel still wants to be strengthened in this zone, despite the addition of Leandro Paredes to his ranks since Zenit St Petersburg during the transfer in January.

"Is it necessary to buy another midfielder with Marquinhos and Verratti? Both are superb, they are incredible, but you can not play a season with only two midfielders. It's like that in a club like Bayern Munich or PSG, "said the former boss of Dortmund.

Before the return match in Paris in March, PSG can approach the match with confidence, not only because it has a significant advantage, but also because it seems to have found a solution to its headache n ° 6.