PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain is under pressure for the first time this season and tensions are starting to set in.
rear not automatically eligible In the last 16 of the Champions League, last year’s winners will face Ligue 1 rivals Monaco in a play-off.
PSG travel to Monaco for Tuesday’s first leg after conceding a goal in a 3-1 defeat to Rennes. Lenses regain top spot In League 1.
PSG was also eliminated from the French Cup, with six defeats this season.
Rennes defeat sparked PSG’s momentum Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele I have doubts about the attitude of my teammates.
“I think we need to show more motivation,” he said. “If you play as an individual on the pitch, it won’t work and you won’t win the trophies you want.”
Although he did not name names, he suggested that some players are putting themselves first.
“Last season we thought about the club first before thinking about ourselves. I think we need to rediscover that,” Dembele added. “We are in the second half of the season and Paris Saint-Germain should come first, not individual players.”
Following Dembele’s comments, coach Luis Enrique issued a stern warning about maintaining a united front.
“I will never allow any player to be on top of the club,” he said. “I’m in charge of the team.”
Luis Enrique’s strong talent management He helped PSG become a more unified team. He made it clear that unlike in previous seasons, there will be no spoiled players.
Dembele found that the hard way with Luis Enrique. dropped him He was given a disciplinary action in a Champions League match against Arsenal early last season.
It paid off, with Dembélé scoring 35 goals in total and helping PSG win the Champions League for the first time.
PSG’s meteoric rise to the title was largely unexpected. Dembele’s sudden high score — and the element of surprise is gone.
Too many games?
Last season continued until the Club World Cup final in mid-July, with some PSG players appearing in more than 60 games.
The team’s high-octane style and constant closures demand a lot. Perhaps as a result, and with little time to recover during the summer, the club suffered a blow. Injuries to key players throughout this campaign.
Dembélé has not been able to form the same understanding offensively as Desiree Douai, and both players have been injured twice.
Coach Luis Enrique also seems unsure about his best goalkeeper, which doesn’t help the defense.
Chevalier vs. Safonov
Last season’s success in the Champions League was due to goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma’s superb shot-stopping in the knockout stages.
But, perhaps surprisingly, Luis Enrique decided to hire. Lucas Chevalier from Lille Despite his lack of experience compared to Donnarumma, who won the European Championship with Italy and played 251 games for AC Milan before joining PSG.
Donnarumma currently plays for Manchester City.
Chevalier Impressed by the reel Last season, Luis Enrique thought he was better at passing from the back. DonnarummaThis allows PSG to attack from deeper positions and have more control of the ball.
However, Chevalier occasionally looked beyond himself and lost his place to Donnarumma’s understudy Matvei Safonov last season.
Monaco improving
PSG defeated French side Brest 10-0 in two games last season to advance to the last 16.
The match against Monaco, who defeated PSG in Ligue 1 earlier this season and whose defense has improved as they have kept four clean sheets in the past six games, is expected to be a tougher test.
Coach Sebastien Pocognoli is awaiting the fitness of attacking midfielder Magnes Akurios, midfielder Lamine Camara and the goal-scoring winger. Ansu Fati. ___
AP Soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
