David Luiz Is the Weak Link That Manchester City Must Exploit Against PSG

On Sunday night, Paris Saint-Germain—despite confirming their fourth consecutive Ligue 1 title last weekend against Troyes—lost 2-0 to AS Monaco at the Parc des Princes. Although it was their first league defeat at home in nearly two years, it flagged up a weakness in the PSG defence.

With his team already 1-0 down, David Luiz had one of those moments he has become known for over his career. First, he delayed a simple pass to Maxwell, giving the ball away to Monaco full-back Fabinho, and then pulled the Brazilian down and gave away a penalty as he tried to rectify the situation.

Since his £50 million move from Chelsea, his notorious moments have dissipated, but that doesn’t mean he has eradicated them from his game. There is little doubt, especially in the UEFA Champions League, that the left-hand side of the PSG defence is the weak link, with Luiz the main source of the problem.

You could watch every performance in Ligue 1 and find the 28-year-old to be flawless, but that is more to do with the level of the opposition, the amount of time they spend on the ball and the lack of chances they are able to create.

When the pressure is increased and the Brazilian is asked to defend in intense situations, the cracks begin to show and that’s when mistakes creep in. Monaco were putting the pressure on PSG on Sunday, they smelled blood and Luiz handed them the killer blow.

He was asked about the level of motivation at the club following the title win, but he wasn’t ready to make excuses.

"The motivation comes from playing for a big club," Luiz told reporters after Sunday's match, per Le Parisien (h/t ESPN FC). "We can't play at a high level in every match. We still won the league eight games before the end of the season."

Although they will be licking their own wounds following defeat in the Manchester derby on Sunday, if Manuel Pellegrini wants to find a way past PSG in the Champions League, he needs to target the former Chelsea man as their weak point.

In the first leg of the last round against Chelsea, PSG may have won 2-1 on the night, but Luiz showed signs of weakness then, too. He lost Diego Costa and forced goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to make a fantastic save. John Obi Mikel also managed to position himself between the Brazilian and Marquinhos to score the equaliser on the night.

It is the man behind him, Marquinhos, who is losing out due to Blanc continuing to insist on picking Luiz for every game. There is an argument to be made that the 21-year-old is the best centre-back at the club.

Linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer, per talkSPORT, without game time, you can understand why he would consider leaving Paris. Add Marquinhos beside Thiago Silva at the heart of the defence—especially with Serge Aurier available again for first-team duties—and the defence is instantly strengthened.

The fee paid for Luiz is a problem. When you spend £50 million on a player some don’t even rate as a centre-back, it asks questions of your recruitment policy if you decide to put him on the bench.

PSG’s season won’t be judged on winning the Ligue 1 title in March, it will be judged by their performances in the Champions League. That is where Luiz will likely come unstuck, and that is where he must play at his absolute best.