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Nedved not getting carried away despite Monaco draw
Mar 20, 2015 13:13:00
The Bianconeri will be quietly satisfied with Friday's Champions League draw, not that the Czech was letting on
Pavel Nedved has described Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final draw against Monaco as “50-50”.
The former Bianconeri winger, now a director at Juve, refused to let his guard slip despite the Serie A leaders arguably getting the draw the other six clubs wanted on Friday.
Monaco scraped their way into the last eight on away goals after surviving a second-leg pummelling by Arsenal and the Italian champions will quietly fancy their chances of easing into the semi-finals.
Nedved, however, was playing it straight after Friday's quarter-final draw in Nyon. The Czech told Eurosport: “Is it what we wanted? It’s hard to say, I’ll tell you later. We have the chance to go through and that’s the important thing.
“We have to concentrate and prove that we’re strong in Europe. I saw both of Monaco’s matches [against Arsenal] and they’re not in the quarter-finals by chance.
“They’re possibly more dangerous away from home than at home, so we have to be careful. It won't be an easy match.
"We're happy to be in the quarters and we will do our best. This is 50-50 cup football, knockout football but we will do our best.”
Juve cruised past Borussia Dortmund in the last round, winning 5-1 on aggregate, and are looking good under Massimiliano Allegri, who replaced Antonio Conte as coach last summer.
“I want to congratulate Allegri,” Nedved added. “He has done an unbelievable job so far, along with the team.
"He has given us the tranquility we needed to make it a long way in the Champions League. This is maybe what we were lacking before, and now we have it."
Juventus failed to reach the knockout stage of last season's Champions League and are making their first appearance in the last eight since 2013.
Past wins over Real Madrid won't help Atletico - Villaverde
Mar 20, 2015 12:19:00
Diego Simeone's men are unbeaten in six derby matches with their archrivals but the managing director feels that means nothing heading into the Champions League quarter-final tie
Atletico Madrid will not dwell on their recent success against city rivals Real when they clash in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, according to managing director Clemente Villaverde.
Atletico have won four and drawn two of the clubs’ six meetings this season across the Spanish Supercopa, La Liga and Copa del Rey.
They are widely seen as having the Indian sign over Carlo Ancelotti’s men – even though Los Blancos won the Champions League last season by beating Atletico 4-1 in the final. Villaverde, however, insists history will count for nothing after they were paired again in Friday’s draw in Nyon.
He told Canal+: "Remembering past victories won’t help us. What we have to do is focus on the tie with respect.
"The last-16 tie against Leverkusen shows just how much we have grown in recent years."
Villaverde stressed playing Madrid in Europe’s elite club competition will be different to meeting them in a domestic competition and admitted there would be no secrets on either side.
He added: "It’s not the same thing to play a Champions League tie as it is a league game and we are not going to discover what Real Madrid are all about now."
Vasilyev: Monaco have nothing to lose against Juventus
By Rupert Fryer
Mar 20, 2015 12:08:40
The vice president of the principality club says the Italian champions are incomparable to beaten last-16 opponents Arsenal and knows what they are capable of
Monaco vice president Vadim Vasilyev says Champions League quarter-final opponents Juventus are an entirely different proposition to Arsenal.
The principality club beat Arsene Wenger’s side 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium before a 2-0 defeat at home secured their passage to the last eight of Europe’s elite club competition.
And Vasilyev says the Italian champions pose a much more difficult obstacle.
"It’s going to be difficult, Vasilyev told Uefa.
"Juventus are tough opponents but we will take to the field with ambition. We deserve to be here.
"I don’t think we can compare Arsenal and Juventus at all. Juventus are the reigning Italian champions and they will be again this year.
"We know we are up against a team with great ambitions. You only have to look at what they did to Dortmund to see what they are capable of.
"But anything can happen. We are the youngest team here and for us it’s a great experience."
Monaco have succeeded expectations following a summer that saw them lose their two biggest recent arrivals, as Falcao left for Manchester United and James Rodriguez for Real Madrid.
"It’s fantastic to be here with the eight best teams in Europe.
"We tend to forget where we came from, right down in the second division. Everybody said our project was dead. We have nothing to lose.
"We saw in the game against Arsenal that we can get great support from our fans. We will be looking for that again. We had great support at the Emirates."
Butragueno: Atletico tie will be difficult for Madrid
Mar 20, 2015 11:55:00
The Madrid director failed to conceal his displeasure with a draw which pits Carlo Ancelotti's men against their bogey side
Former Real Madrid striker Emilio Butragueno conceded Friday’s Champions League draw could have been kinder for the title holders, after they were drawn against city-rivals Atletico.
Madrid have faced Diego Simeone’s men six times already this season, and have failed to win once with a draw in each of the Supercopa and Copa del Rey the best they could muster.
At least they can point to derby success in this competition after beating Atletico 4-1 in last season’s final.
Butragueno, now Madrid’s director of international relations, told Eurosport: "We know they are very competitive and it will be difficult. It’s an even tie and small aspects will be important.
"They are a very strong, cohesive team, strong from set-pieces and have a great spirit.
"We have to recuperate all the injured players we have. We are the title holders and we’ll do our best to get into the semi-finals.
"The draw is what it is. We know each other really well. It will be an intense and open tie.
"We must prepare ourselves very well, we know the difficulties we will face. They take advantage of everything."
Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been banned for one match following his red card in the UEFA Champions League last-16 clash with Chelsea.
Ibrahimovic was sent off in the 31st minute of PSG's dramatic 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge last week, which sent the Ligue 1 champions into the last eight on away goals.
The decision appeared harsh on Ibrahimovic, who was dismissed for a foul on Chelsea midfielder Oscar when challenging for a 50-50 ball.
PSG went on to produce a superb performance with 10 men to progress against the odds after extra time, with Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho calling for Ibrahimovic's red card to be rescinded in the aftermath.
A UEFA statement on Thursday read: "The Paris Saint-Germain [player] Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been suspended for one (1) UEFA competition match for which he would be otherwise eligible.
"As a result, the player is not eligible to play in the first-leg of the UEFA Champions League quarter-final."
In addition, Serge Aurier has been banned for three matches for his criticism of referee Bjorn Kuipers on social media.
Aurier posted a video on his Twitter account after the match, but later apologised for the post.
His ban will see him miss the quarter-finals as well as the first leg of a potential semi-final
Allegri: Clubs who avoided Juventus in CL got lucky
By Rupert Fryer
Mar 21, 2015 17:09:00
The former Milan trainer has dismissed notions that his side were fortunate to draw Monaco in the Champions League, insisting their victory dismantling of Dortmund was a warning...
Juventus coach Massimliano Allegri has rejected claims his side were lucky to draw Monaco in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, suggesting that the six other sides that avoided the Bianconeri were the fortunate ones.
The reigning Italian titleholders avoided potential clashes against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich when they were paired with the Principality club on Friday, leaving them odds on to progress past the last eight for the first time since the 2002/03 season.
Juve blitzed Borussia Dortmund 5-1 on aggregate to secure their clash passage to the quarter-finals, which Allegri insists should be seen as a warning shot to the rest of Europe.
“I've read that Juventus apparently got a 'lucky' draw. But I think we can look at it a different way,” he told a press conference on Saturday.
“Considering the way we played at home against Borussia and up in Dortmund maybe it's the other teams who breathed a sigh of relief after avoiding us.”
The Old Lady have lost just one of their last 16 games in all competitions and Allegri went on to say that while his troops are high on confidence, they still have other things to work on.
“I think the players have much greater belief in themselves now. We've all done an amazing job - myself and everyone who works with me, the club - to keep us on an upwards curve. That has to be our aim,” he said.
“We have to kick on and try to iron out the things we're still not doing right.”
Allegri's side sit 14 points clear of second-placed Roma in Serie A and are unbeaten in 18 league games – their last coming against Sunday’s opponents, Genoa.
“We have a very difficult game against Genoa tomorrow, they're the only team that's beaten us in the league,” he said.
“They've picked up 20 points on the road and have got themselves back in the game from losing positions on seven occasions.
“It’s also going to be tough because they’ve had a week to prepare for it, while we basically only have today. So we'll have to come up with a big performance."
Luis Enrique will not underestimate a Paris Saint-Germain side that will be without suspended duo Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti when Barcelona travel to the French capital for the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final.
Ibrahimovic and Verratti received a red and yellow card respectively in the second leg of PSG's last-16 tie at Chelsea, meaning they will miss out against the four-time champions of Europe on April 15.
Losing talisman and former Barca striker Ibrahimovic is a huge setback for Laurent Blanc, but Luis Enrique has warned his players against getting complacent.
The Barca coach told the club's official website following Friday's last-eight draw: "The absence of Ibrahimovic and Verratti is important but they have other players who are equally dangerous.
"Having the return leg at home is big. It's important to get a good result in Paris and try to qualify for the semi-finals in front of our fans.
"They're very dangerous and we have a lot of respect for them."
Barca and PSG, who overcame Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea in the last 16, faced each other in the group stages, when both sides triumphed on home soil.
Luis Enrique added: "We have experience from the group stage, with a win and a defeat.
"After beating Chelsea they showed they're a strong candidate to win the competition."
Tevez: Juventus must wrap up Serie A title as soon as possible
Mar 23, 2015 09:45:00
The attacker aims to decide the Serie A title quickly as he is keen to shift his focus to the Champions League quarter-final tie with Monaco
Juventus striker Carlos Tevez is desperate for his team to wrap up the Serie A title as soon as they can to allow them to turn their attention to the Champions League.
Massimiliano Allegri's men enjoyed a 1-0 win over Genoa on Sunday, with Tevez netting the only goal of the game as well as missing a penalty in Turin.
Juve are 14 points clear at the top with 10 league games remaining as they look to seal a fourth straight title.
Tevez is eager to see the league wrapped up and focus turned to the Champions League, where Juve will face Monaco in the quarter-finals.
"We are in a good shape, we are in excellent form and this is the most important thing," the Argentine told reporters.
"We have to win the title as soon as possible and focus on the Champions League."
Tevez struck in the 25th minute against Genoa, bursting into the area before firing a powerful shot in off the crossbar.
He had a chance to complete his brace shortly after the hour-mark, but a diving Eugenio Lamanna palmed away his penalty.
"This is the second time I've missed a penalty, the first time was against Napoli," Tevez added.
"The most important thing is that Juventus got these three points and we keep winning."
The Bernabeu outfit have already been beaten by their city rivals four times this season and will face them twice more in the Champions League
Iker Casillas has admitted Real Madrid face a tough test after being drawn against Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Madrid overcame Schalke over two legs in the last 16, while Atletico saw off Bayer Leverkusen to set up the tie, but it is Diego Simeone's men who will head into the game with greater confidence.
Despite trailing their neighbours by eight points in La Liga, the reigning champions of Spain have already beaten Carlo Ancelotti's side four times this season.
Their last success came back in February when they recorded a thumping 4-0 league victory over Madrid at the Vicente Calderon and Casillas is expecting two difficult encounters in Europe.
"We've run into Atletico Madrid again in the Champions League," the goalkeeper wrote on Twitter. "They are two Madrid derby matches that will be very tough."
Casillas is under immense pressure to retain his place in Ancelotti's side after an error-strewn display in the second leg against Schalke.
The 33-year-old was dropped by Jose Mourinho during his spell in charge of the club and replaced by Diego Lopez before regaining his spot following the appointment of the Italian.
But his mistakes against the Bundesliga outfit mean he faces stern competition from deputy keeper Keylor Navas for a starting berth in the weeks ahead.
Manchester City would have eliminated Barcelona if they had Messi, says Pulis
By Chris Davie
Mar 21, 2015 08:09:00
The club have failed to reach the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth successive season but the West Brom manager insists the Argentine was the only difference
Manchester City would have knocked Barcelona out of the Champions League if they had Lionel Messi, according to West Brom boss Tony Pulis.
After their exit from Europe was sealed at Camp Nou on Wednesday evening, the Premier League champions host West Brom at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday as they look to close the six-point gap to leaders Chelsea.
City have failed to get past the last-16 stage in the Champions League for the last four seasons but Pulis believes Messi was the only difference as they fell to a 3-1 aggregate defeat to the Catalans earlier this week.
“We talk about playing against Barcelona and they are one player short in that game - Messi - he was the difference,” said Pulis.
"I’m absolutely convinced if you put him in City’s team, they would be through now.
"He’s a game changer at the very highest level of his profession.”
Lennon: Barcelona back playing like they did under Pep
Mar 20, 2015 17:56:00
EXCLUSIVE: The Catalans won two European Cups under the current Bayern Munich boss and have been hailed for their recent return to form under Luis Enrique
Neil Lennon feels Barcelona will beat Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League as he thinks that Luis Enrique's men are approaching the same level of excellence they achieved under former coach Pep Guardiola.
PSG defeated the Blaugrana 3-2 at the Parc des Princes during the group stage of this season's tournament but were soundly beaten 3-1 at Camp Nou in the return fixture.
Lennon feels that Barca, who have won their last six games in all competitions, have improved significantly since the turn of the year and are now looking like the side that won two Champions Leagues during Guardiola's much-vaunted reign between 2008 and 2012.
"Barcelona are looking ominous in terms of the form they’ve been showing over the last few weeks," the Bolton boss told Goal during a Champions League Q&A session on Friday.
"They look like they’re getting back to the level they were at under Pep Guardiola."
However, Lennon still expects PSG to pose plenty of problems for the Blaugrana, particularly in light of the French titleholders' morale-boosting elimination of Chelsea in the last 16.
"PSG have been the nearly men of the Champions League," he stated. "They’ve consistently got through the groups but never got through the knock-out stages.
"So, psychologically, beating Chelsea will have given them a huge lift and they’ll be a match for Barcelona.
"Their home form is excellent so they’ll want to get something from the home leg and then the tie could be in the balance."
In terms of the quarter-final line-up, though, Lennon is most excited about Real Madrid's meeting with Atletico.
Los Blancos beat their city rivals in the final of last year's competition but Diego Simeone's side are unbeaten in their last six derbies, which has seen them lift the Supercopa de Espana, knock Real out of the Copa del Rey and win both of this season's Liga meetings.
Real are under pressure for a dramatic dip in form since the turn of the year but Lennon feels that Atletico have problems of their own, particularly up front.
"The Madrid derby stands out," the Northern Irishman added. "I was at the final last year. Atletico were so close and Real just kept pushing until the last minute, got the goal and took control in extra-time.
"There’s a huge rivalry between them, Atletico split the top teams in Spain last season and I’m sure they’ll be wanting to do that again.
"Real Madrid have been through a difficult period, losing to Schalke [in the second leg of their last-16 tie], conceding four goals at home.
"The fans have turned a bit on some of the players, which I find extraordinary at times, but such are the expectations at Madrid.
"Atletico haven’t hit the heights of last season themselves, though. Diego Costa is a big miss for them – Mario Mandzukic and Fernando Torres have come in and they’re able deputies but maybe not at the level Costa has been at.
"It’s hard to call over two legs but Atletico are very strong and won’t fear going to the Bernabeu either."
Mourinho: Champions League exit could be a blessing
By Harry Sherlock
Mar 20, 2015 17:37:00
The Blues were knocked out of Europe by Paris Saint-Germain last week and the Portuguese believes that his side can reap the benefits of a lighter schedule
Jose Mourinho says that Chelsea’s Champions League exit could be a blessing in disguise for the club.
The Blues drew 2-2 with Paris Saint-Germain at Stamford Bridge last week and were subsequently eliminated on away goals, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg at Parc des Princes.
Mourinho, though, believes that their elimination leaves Chelsea in a “good situation”, as they attempt to win the Premier League title – stressing that the squad will not struggle with fatigue or pressure now that they only have one competition to focus on.
“Chelsea won three Premier League titles and people know that number clearly, but you can analyse in a different way,” he told reporters.
“In the last nine years they won it once, so it is not easy to win, and in these nine years Chelsea was never in the end of March with six points more than the second [placed team], so we have a good situation in our hands and the way we work last week, the way we work this week, I think the players are very confident. I think the tendency of our team is to improve.
“The normal tendency is for teams to accumulate injuries and stress in the big matches in the Champions League. Our situation gave us space to work, space to improve. Our normal tendency is to end the season in a very strong way.”
Mourinho concedes that he would still like to be in the Champions League, but the Portuguese admits that the fixture congestion the competition can cause is often a decisive factor in domestic leagues and believes his side can end the season on a high despite their elimination.
“I prefer to be in the Champions league but the reality is that if we were in it we would have Barcelona at home, Man United at home, Barcelona away and Arsenal away, and obviously this is a very difficult hypothetical situation,” he added.
“In some countries when the fixtures are made they protect clubs in the Champions League, and immediately in the computer it is made impossible in between these big quarter-finals to play big matches, derbies, Clasicos, but I confess I would like to be in this position. I would like to play Barcelona, Man United, Arsenal.
“But it has given us a situation where we can work properly, if things go as I expect we can finish the season in a very strong way.”
Allegri: Clubs who avoided Juventus in CL got lucky
By Rupert Fryer
Mar 21, 2015 17:09:00
The former Milan trainer has dismissed notions that his side were fortunate to draw Monaco in the Champions League, insisting their victory dismantling of Dortmund was a warning...
Juventus coach Massimliano Allegri has rejected claims his side were lucky to draw Monaco in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, suggesting that the six other sides that avoided the Bianconeri were the fortunate ones.
The reigning Italian titleholders avoided potential clashes against Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich when they were paired with the Principality club on Friday, leaving them odds on to progress past the last eight for the first time since the 2002/03 season.
Juve blitzed Borussia Dortmund 5-1 on aggregate to secure their clash passage to the quarter-finals, which Allegri insists should be seen as a warning shot to the rest of Europe.
“I've read that Juventus apparently got a 'lucky' draw. But I think we can look at it a different way,” he told a press conference on Saturday.
“Considering the way we played at home against Borussia and up in Dortmund maybe it's the other teams who breathed a sigh of relief after avoiding us.”
The Old Lady have lost just one of their last 16 games in all competitions and Allegri went on to say that while his troops are high on confidence, they still have other things to work on.
“I think the players have much greater belief in themselves now. We've all done an amazing job - myself and everyone who works with me, the club - to keep us on an upwards curve. That has to be our aim,” he said.
“We have to kick on and try to iron out the things we're still not doing right.”
Allegri's side sit 14 points clear of second-placed Roma in Serie A and are unbeaten in 18 league games – their last coming against Sunday’s opponents, Genoa.
“We have a very difficult game against Genoa tomorrow, they're the only team that's beaten us in the league,” he said.
“They've picked up 20 points on the road and have got themselves back in the game from losing positions on seven occasions.
“It’s also going to be tough because they’ve had a week to prepare for it, while we basically only have today. So we'll have to come up with a big performance."
The striker insists he has put his troubled past at Camp Nou behind him and won't be looking for retribution when he returns to Catalonia next month
Paris Saint-Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic has dismissed the suggestion that he will be out for personal revenge when the French champions face his old club Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Swede's stay at Camp Nou ended in acrimony as his relationship with then boss Pep Guardiola deteriorated over the course of a turbulent, solitary campaign.
The fall-out was felt for years after as Ibrahimovic wrote at length about his clashes with ‘The Philosopher’ in his autobiography, 'I am Zlatan', but the forward insists that he has put his grievances behind him.
“No, absolutely not, [it’s not about revenge] It’s not me who is talking, it’s the papers,” Ibrahimovic said.
“I train every day, the game [against Barca] is coming and I want to get results. What has been said has been said and what has been done is done. I look forward, I don’t look behind. I’ll just play and let’s see what happens.
He will miss his side’s first leg at Parc de Princes on April 15 after picking up a controversial red card in the second leg of PSG’s last 16 tie with Chelsea, but he will be available for the return at Camp Nou.
“I got just one game [suspension] in the Champions [League],” he continued.
“If you want to win the Champions [League] you have to play against the best teams. I think we will be ready and we will enjoy the two games.”
“I don’t call it revenge. Every game is a new game.”
Ibrahimovic became PSG’s third all-time top scorer as he his 97th, 98th and 99th goals for the club with a hat-trick in their 4-1 victory over Lorient on Friday. He sits just one goal behind Dominique Rocheteau and 10 behind the club’s all-time leading scorer, Pauleta.
The Monaco coach accused the Arsenal manager of disrespecting him after their sides' recent meeting at the Emirates Stadium, but the Frenchman has angrily denied the allegation
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has branded Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim a liar in the wake of the club’s Champions League exit.
The Ligue 1 side defeated the Gunners on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw, but Jardim claimed that Wenger refused to shake his hand after Monaco’s 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
“In the first leg, when I wanted to thank Arsene and shake his hand, it’s true that Arsene didn’t shake my hand, so even though Monaco did everything to make life comfortable for Arsenal tonight, I decided not to thank him,” he said.
“I think it was disrespectful. Right now, we’re celebrating and we think Arsenal did not show enough respect during the first leg.”
Wenger, though, has furiously rebuffed Jardim's suggestion and says he waited until the Monaco boss had fulfilled his post-match media duties before congratulating him.
“Pictures show that I waited to congratulate the Monaco coach after the game. He celebrated his victory with his staff, which I quite understand,” he told L’Equipe.
"I congratulated him after the press conference. I am therefore surprised and disappointed to hear such lies.
"That said, I wish Monaco all the best and good luck for the future."
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone is relishing the prospect of renewing rivalries with Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League, but is refusing to look beyond Saturday's Liga encounter with Getafe.
The pick of Friday's Champions League quarter-final draw was undoubtedly the repeat of last season's final, in which Real triumphed 4-1 in extra time.
Spanish champions Atleti have had the upper hand over Carlo Ancelotti's men since suffering that heartbreak - Simeone's side winning four and drawing two of their past six encounters, including a 4-0 battering in La Liga at the start of February.
But Simeone is only interested in the match against Getafe and Atleti's bid to ensure a top-four league finish.
"It's a great rival, like the other seven that are in this stage of the Champions League," he said. "We'll have a great game ahead of us.
"But my head is thinking only about Getafe. We cannot step away from our life, which is the league, and keep fighting this battle we have with Sevilla and Valencia until the end.
"We have to be focused on the match against Getafe. Apart from that, I honestly have no interest in anything else."
Nedved: Real Madrid not as strong as Barca & Bayern
By Mark Doyle
Apr 1, 2015 23:57:01
Los Blancos won the 2013-14 Champions League but they have suffered a dramatic dip in form since the turn of the year
Juventus director Pavel Nedved says that Barcelona and Bayern Munich are the best teams in Europe, claiming that Real Madrid are not as strong as they were last season.
Madrid won the 2013-14 Champions League, defeating Bayern 5-0 on aggregate in the last four before beating city rivals Atletico 4-1 in the final.
Carlo Ancelotti's men embarked upon a 22-winning streak in all competitions this term but their form has dipped dramatically since the turn of the year, with Los Blancos losing top spot in La Liga to Barca and only scraping into the quarter-finals of the Champions League by edging out Schalke 5-4 on aggregate after a shock second-leg loss at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Consequently, when it comes to weighing up the respective merits of those involved in the race for this season's European Cup, Nedved feels that there are two obvious frontrunners.
"It's good [for Juve] to have avoided Barcelona and Bayern Munich, who are the best teams in Europe at the moment," the former Ballon d'Or winner told El Mundo Deportivo.
"Real Madrid are not at the level of last year. But everything can change very quickly."
Juve will face Monaco in the last eight after the Ligue 1 outfit sneaked into the quarter-finals thanks to a victory on away goals over Arsenal, whose 2-0 success in the principality nearly overturned a 3-1 first-leg deficit.
However, Nedved says he saw enough during the principality club's win at the Emirates to suggest that they can cause the Bianconeri problems.
"Obviously there were more famous possible opponents we could have drawn, but we must not underestimate Monaco," the Czech added.
"They went dangerously close to being knocked out at home, but they impressed me against Arsenal in London."
PSG strike key title blow without Ibrahimovic firing - but Barcelona have little to fear
Apr 5, 2015 22:43:00
COMMENT: A thrilling Classique lived up to its name but despite an exciting 3-2 win there were flaws that will concern Laurent Blanc ahead of the Champions League clash with Barca
By Robin Bairner, French football expert
It was just Paris Saint-Germain’s sixth away win of the Ligue 1 season – but it was easily the most important to date. Not only did the 3-2 success against Marseille put their greatest rivals in their place, but it restored their lead of Le Championnat, which had been pinched temporarily by Lyon on Saturday.
But the performance will not have worried Champions League opponents Barcelona.
For 45 minutes Stade Velodrome reverberated as Andre-Pierre Gignac inspired the hosts to a 2-1 half-time lead. Often mocked in the capital for his build, a couple of clinical finishes from the local boy had the home fans dreaming of the title. He also brought himself into the focus of suitors, who will be aware that OM's top scorer is out of contract at the end of the season.
Marseille is renowned as the more cosmopolitan city – a melting pot of European and African culture – so it was ironic that they fielded a team comprised of 10 players born in France against opponents with Blaise Matuidi as their only Frenchman. Between Gignac's goals, the PSG midfielder - a player often thought to have three lungs but only one foot - levelled with a rare finish off his right side. It was a moment that capped another fine game from the industrious midfielder.
Marseille’s first-half defensive vigour disrupted PSG and laid the foundations for a performance that showed it is possible to be competitive in Ligue 1 with a budget dwarfed by that provided by Qatar. But the 10 minutes after half-time showed why it is so hard to actually win it.
A high pressing game cut off the supply to Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the first 45 minutes, but when the Swede was involved after the interval he turned the course of the game. A weak free kick to set up Marquinhos’ equaliser epitomised an unconvincing evening, yet the manner in which he bullied Jeremy Morel emphasised that his very presence can be a decisive factor at times.
This was not PSG at their best and their opponents should be applauded for the manner in which the defending champions were tested. Aside from that brief spell after the interval, OM were the superior side. The wonderfully naïve tactics that Marcelo Bielsa encouraged made for a dashing spectacle yet, on the other hand, ensured his side were always on edge.
Unfortunately for the hosts, they were unable to take advantage of a visiting defensive unit that was far from convincing. David Luiz limped off in the first half with an apparent hamstring problem, yet even before the Brazil international made his exit Gignac, Andre Ayew and Dimitri Payet all exposed a collective weakness.
To add to Laurent Blanc's injury headaches, Thiago Motta went off with a similar problem in second-half stoppage-time, leaving his side to finish with 10 men. It echoed the incredible 2-2 draw with Caen, when PSG ended the match with only nine players due to four injuries prior to the Champions League first-leg with Chelsea.
While Marseille were unable to take advantage as the Normandy side did, the Parisians are unlikely to be so lightly treated by Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar when they meet in around 10 days’ time in Paris.
So while this victory has taken PSG a step closer to domestic glory, it should also raise questions over their ability to achieve success in Europe.
The forward expects an exciting test in the Champions League quarter-finals and has hailed Thiago Silva as one of the world's finest defenders
Neymar believes Barcelona's Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain will be a genuine footballing "spectacle".
The Catalans overcame Manchester City in the last 16 to set up a clash with Chelsea's conquerors PSG, whom they beat to top spot in the group phase.
And Brazil star Neymar is expecting another exciting challenge when the two sides meet in the French capital on April 15.
"It will be a great game between two great teams with excellent players. That means it'll be a real spectacle," he told Samba Foot.
"PSG are a great side with plenty of individuals. We know it'll be a great footballing show."
Neymar has enjoyed productive form alongside Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in 2015 and the former Santos star is confident they can continue to inspire a title charge.
"Messi and Luis Suarez are two great players who, along with me, try to help the team in the best possible way," he said.
"We're in a good moment of the season and I'm confident we can get the best title for the team."
The Brazil international also reserved praise for PSG captain Thiago Silva and revealed head coach Dunga has restored harmony in the national team dressing room.
"He is one of the best defenders in the world," he said of the centre-back. "For me, it's a real honour to play with him. He's a great person and I think he'll continue to make history, both with PSG and the Brazil national team.
"Dunga is a great coach who has shown his qualities as a trainer and a leader. He always tries to make us better and, most importantly, he's created a good atmosphere in the dressing room."
