PSG’s crucial Champions League game will define their season،
Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani may have gone a little too far. “The match against Dortmund? Our lives are at stake,” he said after the 2-1 victory against Nantes on Saturday. He certainly didn't mean it literally, but the basic idea is clear: Borussia Dortmund against PSG is huge for the Parisians.
Their final Champions League Group F game on Wednesday is the game that will define their season, which is saying something considering it's the second week of December.
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German opponents PSG have already booked their place in the round of 16, but are not guaranteed to finish top of the group. Meanwhile, PSG need a win to ensure qualification; If they win away, they will finish first. A draw could be enough to advance to the last 16 next February, but only if AC Milan win or draw at Newcastle United; defeat in Germany could still see PSG qualify, but only if Newcastle v Milan ends in a draw. Another combination of results would see PSG suffer an ignominious fall in the Europa League.
“It’s like a final,” added Kolo Muani, who has just celebrated his 25th birthday with a party in the French capital. There could be no better late gift for him and his teammates than a place in the next round. Despite the obvious importance of Wednesday's match and the pressure that comes with it, the camp is rather calm and collected. On Saturday, the players were clearly focused on Dortmund instead of focusing on Nantes, their opponent at the Parc des Princes. It was an inspiring performance and victory – Kolo Muani scored the winner seven minutes from time in a match that PSG had largely dominated – and they probably celebrated his birthday more than the victory against the Canaries.
The only thing worth noting, perhaps, is the constant presence of Luis Campos within the team. The PSG sporting director gave an interview before the Nantes match to remind us that his team “is not afraid, and that it is an exciting match to play. He was in the tunnel at half-time to congratulate the players who had led at the break, and he was there again after the victory. He is still present in his role, but he has been even more visible within the team in recent days.
Wednesday's game is also huge for Campos, as it would be his failure to share if this team doesn't make it to the round of 16. PSG have done this every year since 2011-12, and missing that would make him the Qatar club's first sporting director at the time to oversee such an embarrassment. Nor would he be able to explain how to get out of it; he built this team this summer, adding Kolo Muani, Manuel Ugarte, Ousmane Dembélé and Bradley Barcola at great expense. If they are not good enough to qualify, he will be responsible.
Luis Enrique would also bear responsibility if the worst-case scenario comes true. In a group that didn't seem that difficult for PSG at the time of the draw – given the patchy form of Newcastle, Dortmund and Milan this season – it would be considered a shame if manager Luis Enrique didn't get his team on this obstacle. There have been plenty of positives since he joined the club last summer, and his team plays with a clear identity, but his tactics have been confusing at times. Take the 4-2-4 formation that failed at Newcastle, or keep Goncalo Ramos on the bench until the 85th minute at home to the Magpies in the second leg.
Despite the pressure, the Spaniard keeps his cool; he shows no signs of nervousness or tension towards his players or his staff. The 53-year-old is experienced at the highest level and is always confident in his abilities and his team, regardless of the opposition. On Sunday morning, he appeared relaxed in training, laughing and joking with the players, before going into full preparation mode on Monday.
On Sunday, Luis Enrique spoke to Lee Kang-In, who is expected to replace Dembélé on the right wing against Dortmund. Dembélé's suspension is a blow, as much of PSG's preparation depends on his partnership with Achraf Hakimi. Many passage circuits pass through him, making him their main creator. We saw it against Nantes, when PSG woke up when he came on 25 minutes from time. Before that, the pace of each PSG attack was much slower. Lee is a different type of player to the French international he replaces. He doesn't have the same pace, but he can make the difference thanks to his dribbling precision and technical abilities.
Another reason why Luis Enrique might be quite relaxed at the moment is that he knows he can count on Marquinhos and Warren Zaire-Emery in midweek, both of whom successfully returned from injury on Saturday. The Brazilian defender played a good 60 minutes, while the Parisian prodigy came on for the final half hour and looked like he never left the team. Both will start in Germany, and PSG will be a better team for it.
As Luis Enrique told his players, it is time for PSG to become a real team and take charge of their destiny. It's all in Paris's hands, and they simply can't afford to buckle under pressure on Wednesday like they have in past European campaigns. As Kolo Muani asserted, their lives in the Champions League are at stake.
