In an alternate reality, Thomas Tuchel would spend part of Tuesday musing with the media on being at the top end of the Ligue 1 table with two wins from two, capped by another comfortable victory in Sunday’s Le Classique.
The German coach might even have had time to talk about another assault on the Champions League with Wednesday’s clash against relegation-struggling Metz not taking up too much space on the pre-match agenda.
« Hypertension! » is Tuesday’s excitable front cover of L’Equipe as PSG finds itself in the relegation zone of the Ligue 1 standings.
Tuchel’s first ten responses in today’s session will be on the aftermath of the mass brawl against Marseille which saw five players sent off – three for PSG. One of those was Neymar who is now facing a suspension of up to four to seven games, at a time when some very big hitters in the team are already out of action.
Neymar’s accusations of racism aimed at Marseille’s Alvaro Gonzalez are still dominating the headlines. After initially declaring that he wished he had hit the Spanish defender a little harder for alleged racist abuse, Neymar has released a more reflective statement. While the PSG forward may regret his actions, he stands by his response.
« I got lost in the game and I lacked wisdom. Being in the centre of this situation or ignoring a racist act will not help. I know. But pacifying this ‘anti-racism’ movement is our obligation so that the less privileged will naturally receive their defence. »
As it stands, the accusations are yet to be proven but investigations from Ligue 1 will continue.
In the meantime, Thomas Tuchel will be talking later today and calculating which players will be available for the team’s third match of the season. Kylian Mbappe continues a period of isolation due to a positive COVID-19 test and Neymar will be suspended.
However, Marquinhos, Mauro Icardi and Keylor Navas might all named in the squad that takes on Metz in a match that is live, live, live on beIN SPORTS at 2:50PM ET on Wednesday.
While PSG finds itself in CRISIS!, potential rivals to the French crown in Ligue 1 are taking advantage. Marseille has won two from two, along with Saint Etienne.
Meanwhile, Rennes, Monaco and Lille all remain undefeated in the top three spots in the standings. The one exception so far is Lyon which has picked up four points from two games but has the chance to gain some early ground against PSG on Tuesday in an away clash against Montpellier.
A win would see OL at the top of the table. However, the big challenge over the next month says Lyon boss, Rudi Garcia, is keeping stars such as Memphis Depay and Houssem Aouar. « If we have the opportunity to challenge PSG, we will not hesitate, although it will be very difficult, » declared Garcia.
The tournament is picking up at the third match day of the six-round group stages and all sixteen games are spread across the beIN SPORTS network – including some for absolutely free on beIN XTRA.
Arturo Vidal is still poised to leave the Camp Nou to head to Inter while Luis Suarez appears to be still in limbo over whether to remain with Lionel Messi at Barcelona or head to Juventus, which has an open spot in the team with Gonzalo Higuain going to Inter Miami.
While Suarez is dithering, a potential move for Lyon’s Memphis Depay remains up in the air.
Real Madrid is in the same situation although Gareth Bale is being linked with a loan move to Manchester United. However, there will be relief all over the Madridista world with the news that Lucas Vasquez is set to stay on after turning down an offer from Qatar.
The defending LaLiga champions begins its campaign on Sunday at 3PM ET with a humdinger against David Silva’s Real Sociedad.
The Sports Burst live show with Kaylyn Kyle and Gary Bailey will be all over all this and a while lot more. Just head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page or beIN XTRA channel at 12PM ET.
SOURCE: https://www.w24news.com
