Red Bull gives you wings and offers a real breath of fresh air. PSG found some oxygen this Tuesday in Salzburg (3-0), not far from the mountains of Tyrol, by overcoming a weak Austrian team which made its task easier in this obsessive quest for the goal. Even if it must be recognized that Luis Enrique’s men did what was necessary to end their evening with the three points in their pocket, the bag full of goals and the feeling that their adventure in the Champions League deserved to continue.
With only three goals scored in the competition before its trip and only one goal scored in its last three matches, the capital club was beginning to wonder, in recent weeks, where all its good offensive intentions seen at the start of the season in Ligue 1 had passed.
They finally reappeared at the end of an evening that was not always perfect but marked with the seal of success with three balls pushed into the back of the net by Gonçalo Ramos, Nuno Mendes and Désiré Doué, as many as in the first five matches played in Europe.
Despite a first half hour where the lack of realism of the Parisians was once again obvious and raised fears of a copy and paste of his previous performances, the opening score of the Portuguese number 9 was a liberation for all the Parisian team which can take a breather. 24th in the standings with seven points on the clock, PSG can still believe in qualifying for the play-offs and dream of a less painful tomorrow.
“It was very important to leave here with victory,” confides Lucas Hernandez. We saw from the start that we were confident and that we wanted victory. We did the job even if we could have scored a few more goals. I hope this is the start of a long road in the Champions League. It’s true that there is a relief because the match was almost decisive for us, we couldn’t have missed it. We will have to continue this dynamic during the January matches and go there to win them. »
In the Parisian ranks, we even wanted to believe in a decisive match which would open up the field of possibilities and strengthen the confidence of a young team which has been terribly lacking in its journey which began in September. This second victory in the competition, essential and almost imperative for their survival in Europe, had the merit of restoring balm to the heart, of removing some doubts if not having erased them all.
“I think it will click”
“Victory is important. We knew that if we wanted to continue in the competition, we had to win, admitted Bradley Barcola. We’ve had a good start, we’re happy. I think it will click. We’ve been struggling lately, scoring three away goals is very good. I hope it continues. We asked ourselves a lot of questions. Today, we saw that when we played without asking questions and being all-out, it allows matches like that. »
This victory, the first with at least a three-goal difference on the European scene since last April, may well be enjoyed without moderation in the Parisian camp, but everyone knows, all the same, that for the moment it is only ‘a promise that will need to be supported by slightly more comprehensive services in the weeks to come. In domestic competitions, of course, where Paris will end the year against Lyon and Monaco in Ligue 1, then Lens in the 32nd final of the Coupe de France. But also and above all in the Champions League, when Paris will have to qualify in January, when they host Manchester City on January 22, and a trip to Stuttgart on January 29.
No excess enthusiasm from Luis Enrique
“It will be two big matches, against two big teams, but we at least know that for the first, we will be able to count on the public, our 12th man,” smiles Lucas Hernandez before continuing. “We have talked a lot about our inefficiency recently and we work a lot on a daily basis to resolve that. But it’s like everything, when you start to score, normally it follows behind. There, it’s true, we could have put more. But, at least, we know the procedure for the next matches. »
Does this trip to Tyrol have therapeutic virtues? Did he definitively cure Paris of all its ills? One thing is certain, PSG has, in the space of 90 minutes, found the net as many times as in its first five outings in the competition. “We have fewer points than we should have,” tempers Luis Enrique, as if to avoid any excess enthusiasm. There is room for improvement. This result strengthens the team. We don’t know how many points and goals it will take to qualify. This is why listing three is important. The next team is Manchester City, a very small team (ironic). So we’re going to take it step by step. »