Zlatan Ibrahimovic Is Ready for Manchester City but PSG's Defence Is Still Shaky
Paris Saint-Germain head into Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City off the back of a 4-1 thrashing of Ligue 1 surprise package OGC Nice on Saturday.
Laurent Blanc’s men clipped Les Aiglons’ wings thanks to a hat-trick from the insatiable Zlatan Ibrahimovic and a David Luiz header.
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Hatem Ben Arfa scored a fine equaliser for the visitors just moments after the Swede had opened the scoring, but it was ultimately only consolation for Claude Puel’s side.
Although some of his team-mates were visibly feeling the after-effects of the first international break of 2016, Ibrahimovic was as effective as ever and scored a spectacular first-half double before completing his second treble in three Ligue 1 matches with a simple finish in the second 45.
The 34-year-old’s first was special. After controlling an excellent David Luiz ball over the top, Zlatan let the ball bounce before firing in emphatically off the crossbar from a tight angle to give Nice goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale no chance.
Ibrahimovic’s second was a trademark free-kick. Although he does not always score from set pieces that are not penalties, when the PSG talisman hits the ball with as much ferocity as he did on this occasion, few goalkeepers are going to get close to stopping the ball.
Cardinale was nowhere near, and the forward’s finish was so brutally powerful it nearly ripped the net.
Zlatan’s third of the afternoon was all about Adrien Rabiot. The France under-21 international drove the ball forward and located the lethal Swede with an inch-perfect pass that was taken in stride and struck beyond Cardinale.
PSG boss Blanc admitted to the assembled journalists after the final whistle that his players had barely had time to prepare for the Nice clash because of a demanding international schedule for many regular starters.
However, Le President was nonetheless delighted by what he saw from his team in their dress rehearsal for the visit of Manchester City.
"The merit goes to the players, honestly, we didn't prepare for this match at all. Certain players came back [from international duty] on Thursday morning. We didn't do much [to prepare]. That proves that we have a great squad of players and they always want to win. Today we had chances and we scored four. Next week, the context will not be the same and I will not need to motivate them.
"
Despite the positives for PSG, there are still some serious questions over the defence. Although they only scored once, Nice exposed their hosts’ back line on a number of occasions and could have scored more on another day.
Marquinhos, although an excellent central defender, is a limited right-back and struggles against wide men who possess great pace. The Brazil international was cut open on Les Parisiens’ right once in the first half—when referee Mikael Lesage correctly deemed a Luiz handball accidental—and then by the vibrant Alassane Plea in the second 45.
Although Marquinhos is solid enough at right-back and a great emergency option to have, the PSG defence is visibly struggling to come to terms with the recent absence of Serge Aurier.
The Ivorian was left out of the squad to face Nice on Saturday after playing both his country's matches during the international break—his first competitive run-outs in almost two months—and the chances of seeing him in the starting XI for the Manchester City tie is unclear.
Aurier might not even make the squad if Blanc considers the player to require further punishment for his recent Periscope controversy, as reported by ESPN FC’s Mark Rodden.
While Marquinhos’ likely inclusion from the start against City is a concern, so too is the recent form of Luiz. The Brazil international was great going forward against Nice, scoring one and assisting another, but he was suspect defensively.
The 28-year-old could easily have conceded a penalty—although it would have been harsh—for the second time in as many home Ligue 1 matches. Also, Luiz and captain Thiago Silva were both guilty of allowing Ben Arfa too much space to score his sublime consolation effort for Le Gym.
If the France international was a handful for the PSG defence, then how will they manage to keep City’s Kevin De Bruyne quiet over two legs?
The Belgium international reinvigorated Manuel Pellegrini’s men for their 4-0 demolition of Bournemouth at Vitality Stadium on Saturday, and the French champions are suddenly facing a tougher challenge than it first appeared when the draw was made.
Even though City will be missing Raheem Sterling and may well be deprived of Joe Hart and Yaya Toure as well, they still boast the likes of De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and David Silva.
PSG will be able to score goals against the Premier League outfit’s leaky and depleted defence, but the Citizens also have the potential to find a way past the Ligue 1 giants’ surprisingly vulnerable rearguard.
Like against Chelsea in the Champions League last 16, keeping a clean sheet at Parc des Princes on Wednesday will be vital for Blanc’s men if they want to progress comfortably.
An in-form Ibrahimovic alone will not be enough; the Swede will also require a contribution from the defence—and his supporting cast in attack—if he is to make the difference in the same way he did against Chelsea last time out in Europe.
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