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Game to watch – PSG v Liverpool
The first meeting between these two parties lived up to its expectations and it was only the opening of the group. Three games later, the stakes are higher because the consequences are surprisingly clear.
A defeat for PSG would probably end its campaign in the Champions League. They are currently dragging the Reds and Naples by a single point; Liverpool would have no chance if it triumphed in Paris, while Carlo Ancelotti's players are favorites to beat the Red Star at home – a result that would lose the PSG in third place.
For non-Parisians among us, it's funny. Perhaps the most reasonable neutrals would prefer that Neymar and Kylian Mbappe compete with the other big names of the last stages of the competition, which is also expected by the Qatari owners of the PSG. They clearly expressed their desire to improve the last two rounds of the 16 outings. Their reaction to the first hurdle when he was 15 points behind in Ligue 1 would be absolutely fascinating.
Conversely, if the PSG beat Liverpool, he would take the initiative of the Reds, for whom the defeat on Wednesday would not affect their hopes for progress. This poses a dilemma for Jurgen Klopp: should he approach the tie more conservatively than he usually could?
Klopp has developed a taste for simpler life Over the last few weeks, he now has the opportunity within his team to rotate not only his staff, but also his form. Liverpool may not have "clicked" consistently this season, but he's doing more than he does and remains undefeated in the Premier League despite Various experiences of Klopp.
Thomas Tuchel has also tinkered with his team and the move to three central defenders seems to have the desired effect. Unlike Anfield, when PSG relied too much on the individual quality of its attacking stars to compensate for the flaws that underlie them, the new system seems to have made it a more resilient unit. The Tuchel team now looks far better equipped to thrive without Neymar or Mbappe, which can be useful.
Team to watch – Tottenham
The Spurs occupy a rather better place before this meeting compared to the first day, when they collapsed late at San Siro. Both games were in a slump and the last-breath triumph offered Inter a shot in the arm inspiring seven consecutive victories.
Even though the Spurs have won four of their next six games, Mauricio Pochettino's men have taken longer to click, but it seems that everything finally settled on Saturday. The Inter is the second of three mass tests this week, with a trip to Arsenal that weighs heavily for the weekend.
Pochettino's men can not afford a break between the London derbies, as nothing less than a victory will likely end their Champions League campaign for this season. Inter's series of matches is no less relentless, with Roma, Juventus and possibly an uncanny clash with PSV in the next two days.
Maurizio Sarri presented to Inter some of the lessons that Chelsea had learned during their hiccups at Wembley. In short: beware of the Spurs in the first half hour and do not give them the opportunity to counter them.
It is therefore fair to assume that Inter will stay at Wembley, making it perhaps the toughest match of its three games of the week. Watch the Spurs investigate and try to break the resilience of Inter will be intriguing, as Christian Eriksen, Son Heung-min and Dele Alli will have much less space than that offered by Chelsea and most likely less than what Arsenal will offer.
Before beating Chelsea, as Mauricio Pochettino said: "Football is about energy." The Spurs have recovered well, just in time.
Manager to follow – Jose Mourinho
It's hard to know where José is going. The boss of Manchester United is facing the kind of task that no one has yet accomplished since the start of the Premier League and he launched this task by questioning the commitment and efforts of his players.
Mourinho had a point. If you feel its human resource management methods are outdated or not, it was an absolutely correct comment. Too many of his players do not give everything for the manager and, later, for the club. All rebuttals, even too late, can only be delivered when the Young Boys go to Old Trafford on Tuesday.
Which Mourinho players will have a right of reply? Since it seems the only way for United to be in the Champions League next year is to win it This season, the manager will not be in the mood to give players even more chances than he thinks he has not dropped.
Mourinho did not mention his name Saturday, but Paul Pogba was one of the players hooked in the second half. The star of France was miserable – again – and its performance would be a test for any manager with greater patience than Mourinho. Any season of peace that reigns in this season is difficult and, given that the release of Pogba was applauded by much of the crowd of Old Trafford on Saturday, the manager has the opportunity to turn the screw at 25 years old. He is looking for a job. scapegoat. Not that he makes scapegoats, of course.
Presumably, Mourinho has now learned that too many of his players are not playing characters to respond to critics by deciding to prove him wrong. This lot is more likely to reassure an agent or the media. But Mourinho will not change tactics now and his players will not suddenly develop the determination the manager needs.
The last time United was stuck in a corner like before the Newcastle match in early October. When it seemed like a defeat would cost his job in Mourinho, the players offered a performance in the first period as bad as the one seen at Old Trafford for several years. This only improved in the second half, as players may have realized that they were not subtle enough.
The players will come to understand, because that's how football works: changing the director is much easier and less expensive than completely reshaping an expensive team. Mourinho probably recognizes it but, unlike his players, when the Portuguese is back to the wall, he sways.
Player to watch – Henrikh Mkhitaryan
After his performance against Bournemouth, would you punish Henrikh Mkhitaryan by dropping him for the Europa League trip to Vorskla or playing it?
The Armenian gives the impression of not being too disturbed, which could partly be part of the problem. Alexis Sanchez has been absolutely sorry since arriving at Manchester United last winter, but Arsenal can barely claim to have got the better part of the deal. Mkhitaryan's Sunday exhibition was hardly an anomaly. So bad was Matt Stead invited to write this.
Given that the playmaker played in three of the Europa League's four games, Emery will probably decide to take it back, perhaps hoping to find a form in Ukraine in time for the North derby. London. But given that Mkhitaryan has failed to score or help a goal in 16 of his last 20 games, even Emery's optimism must be pushed to the limit.
A battle to watch – Kylian Mbappe v Andrew Robertson
There is a good chance that this meeting will not take place. As the last we were waiting impatiently. But if Mbappe's shoulder injury is not over, PSG will surely eliminate their biggest threat.
He and his compatriot Neymar have 13 goals and seven assists each season, but Mbappe is probably the star that Tuchel is most keen to see on the pitch. With issues so important, Neymar tends to take responsibility for saving PSG, but sometimes at his expense. That 's what happened in Anfield and Napoli when the Brazilian acted alone to try to get PSG out of a hole, while Mbappe was more concerned with those who l? around him.
Neymar was chained by Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez at the first meeting in Merseyside and Klopp will need Robertson and Virgil van Dijk to do similar work on the opposite flank in France. The left-back largely controlled Mbappe until Neymar engaged him to equalize late in Group C's first game. Only Roberto Firmino's still-late winner made it inconsequential. .
What is worrying for Klopp is that Tuchel has the PSG better equipped to thrive if his two biggest stars can not shine. Angel Di Maria and Julian Draxler are proving to be more capable substitutes than we previously thought. But Mbappe remains the biggest threat, even if he is not in top form. Robertson may want to test his shoulder as soon as he can get close enough …
Football League to watch – Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest
We told you that it was worth watching the Second City derby on Sunday. While this is not the most presumptuous pretense of Big Weekend, we are maintaining the "if it does not break, do not fix it" approach by encouraging you to keep an eye on Villa Park on Wednesday night.
The forest of Aitor Karanka is one of the visitors on this occasion. Once again, the opponents of the Villa are in direct contact with them on the board. Having taken three places ahead of Birmingham with a 4-2 win on Sunday, Dean Smith's men can continue their impressive form by placing a spot below the top six – they can still win two goals .
Only Norwich leaders have scored more than the Villa's nine goals in their last three games, but the Villans will have to breach a safe defense from Forest, who has kept three consecutive clean sheets to leave them on the verge of going into action. playoffs. The unstoppable force against the immutable object, but it's the best that the Championship has to offer this week.
Ian Watson
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