Why a Fit and Firing Marco Verratti Is Vital to PSG's Champions League Chances
Paris Saint-Germain welcome Real Madrid to Parc des Princes in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday, and both sides have the chance to give themselves a three-point lead in Group A with a win.
The showdown clash in Paris will be the first time the teams have faced each other since a mid-season friendly in Doha, Qatar, back in January 2014. The Spanish giants, then under former PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti, won that meeting 1-0.
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It will also be an opportunity for Los Blancos to see firsthand just how immense a talent the French champions’ Marco Verratti is.
Real reportedly tried to acquire the Italy international in the summer, with speculation so intense that it got to the point Los Merengues were forced to make an official statement to deny that a move was made for the 22-year-old.
The pint-sized midfield terrier is one of Europe’s most coveted players but is still a PSG man and will likely be so for some time to come.
Despite signing a contract extension through to 2019 just over 12 months ago, Verratti is expected to put pen to paper to add another year to his current deal in the near future, according to Le Parisien.
For the time being, Real will have to be content to assess the player up close and hope an opportunity to purchase him arises in future. If one does, though, it certainly won’t be because PSG have decided they want to sell him.
Verratti admitted in an interview with Goal (h/t ESPN FC’s Ian Holyman) as recently as August, although he is flattered by interest from Europe’s biggest clubs—notably Real’s domestic rivals Barcelona—he is also very happy in Paris for now.
"As they say, you never know what the future will bring. I'm good where I am, and I'm not thinking of changing club, because you know what you are losing but not what you're going to find. The day when I no longer feel good in Paris or when the club wants to sell me then I will look at my options, but England, Spain, Italy, it's the same for me. What counts is the project of the clubs.
Barca are one of the strongest teams in the world. They've been at the top of the game for a while. They're a great team, but I'm happy at PSG. When a team as strong as that takes an interest in you, it makes any player happy. It's true that I like their style of play.
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At present, Verratti is indispensable to Les Parisiens. Manager Laurent Blanc has handed the Italian an integral role in his preferred midfield three, alongside fellow Azzurri star Thiago Motta and France international Blaise Matuidi, and he has grown in status in the French capital.
Since his arrival at Parc des Princes back in the summer of 2012, the former Pescara man has played a big part in PSG’s starting XIs. However, not only is he now a key part of that first-choice team, he is arguably its most vital component.
Verratti is now the capital club’s most important player, more so than super Swede Zlatan Ibrahimovic and metronomic midfielder Motta.
As Verratti’s agent, Donato Di Campli, admitted in an interview with TuttoMercatoWeb (h/t ESPN FC’s Ian Holyman) back in April, the Italian is indispensable because of his importance on the pitch: "For PSG, he's unsellable. He's not on the market."
When he is unavailable through either injury or, more likely, suspension because of the accumulation of yellow cards, Blanc’s side misses Verratti’s audacity, high-risk approach to the game, intricate footwork, sublime technique, almost magnetic ball control and superlative passing.
The Parc des Princes spectators have witnessed him grow in stature with every passing season since his arrival, and in every campaign he has shown great development.
This campaign is no different, with Verratti demonstrating a remarkable degree of maturity with regard to his discipline on the pitch. Compared with his previous seasonal tallies of 11, 10 and 12 bookings in Ligue 1, the PSG No. 6 has just a solitary yellow card to his name to date this term.
The midfielder is on course for a record low in terms of cards collected, addressing a key source of criticism in his playing style.
Blanc has spoken in the past of his desire to see Verratti curb his habit of being cautioned during games. In January, following a 1-0 win away at Lille OSC in the Coupe de la Ligue semi-finals, Le President warned his young charge publicly, relayed by ESPN FC’s Ian Holyman.
"It's always tricky with Marco, but it's no laughing matter for me. He punishes himself. Despite that, every time, we tell him. Apparently, he doesn't understand. I adore him, he's got bags of talent, but he's going to have problems if he continues like that.
I have been taking preventative measures for the last two years. Carlo did it, too. That's why I took him off. I should have taken him off at half-time.
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Verratti still takes risks in front of his own penalty area, much to the irritation of Blanc at times, but that is all part of his game. His high-octane approach to his football is part of what makes him such a pleasure to watch.
PSG’s main ambition is to go all the way in the Champions League in the near future. This season, the objective is to go at least one step closer to the final than the quarter-finals, which is the stage their European adventures have ended in the past three campaigns.
In order to achieve that goal, Blanc will need Verratti in pretty much every game. That means maintaining this disciplined start to the season he is enjoying so far in order to be available for the biggest matches.
Last term, the 22-year-old missed the 3-1 first-leg defeat to Barcelona in the quarter-finals, and although he was not Les Parisiens’ only missing player, he was one of their most important.
The PSG maestro needs to make sure that he steers clear of unnecessary bookings and suspensions in the latter stages, as it is in those big games where he truly comes to the fore.
Against Chelsea in the round of 16 last season, he was immense in both legs. However, a pair of yellow cards meant he missed the first leg against Barcelona in the next round, with the damage having already been done in Paris before the return tie in Spain.
Injuries cannot be helped to a certain degree, but bookings can. If Verratti can continue to limit the number of cautions he receives, just one so far in Group A, then he will be able to help PSG in their quest to go past the Champions League quarter-finals.
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