03-10-2021, 05:49 PM
In Focus: The squad players supporting Mbappe and Co at PSG
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are Paris Saint-Germain’s headliners — but there is a whole band backing up Mauricio Pochettino’s regulars.
Although Les Parisiens are still competing on three fronts, they have a number of injuries ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona tonight, which they lead 4-1.Â
With a Ligue 1 title race and the latter stages of a Coupe de France campaign to contend with alongside European ambitions, which squad players could prove key to their hopes of an unprecedented treble?
RafinhaÂ
Former Barcelona midfielder Rafinha (pictured above) has only started 11 league matches for PSG since his arrival last summer — but the 28-year-old Brazilian has already made quite an impact.Â
His four league assists for the season average out at 0.36 per 90 minutes played, which puts him inside the top 10 players in France’s top flight. So why is he not getting more game time?Â
When asked that question last month, Pochettino said:Â
"All the decisions are football-related. In Rafa’s case, he was impacted by coronavirus when we arrived.Â
"We have a strong squad and we take decisions. It is important to be ready when the moment comes. These are footballing decisions and he will have opportunities."
Colin Dagba
On-loan Roma star Alessandro Florenzi remains the first-choice right-back for PSG’s biggest matches but Colin Dagba, 22, is a more than competent rotation option.Â
Composed with the ball at his feet, he has completed 90.17% of his passes this season (20th in Ligue 1), maintaining the form when given the opportunity that saw him linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich last summer.
Layvin KurzawaÂ
Layvin Kurzawa appeared to be on the verge of signing for Arsenal in January 2020 but instead extended his stay in Paris, where he has proven to be a very useful back-up left-back.
Now closing in on 150 appearances in all competitions over six seasons with the club, his strength lies in his dynamism down the left flank.Â
The 28-year-old Frenchman likes to play particularly high up the field, bombing up and down the touchline before linking up with PSG’s attackers to provide 1.4 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.Â
Pablo SarabiaÂ
Despite starting five matches since Pochettino’s arrival, Pablo Sarabia has been in and out of the side this season.Â
But the attacking midfielder’s eye-catching numbers suggest he should be one of the first names on his manager’s team sheet.Â
Only fellow PSG star Angel Di Maria (1.00) has created more big chances per 90 minutes of action than Sarabia (0.99), resulting in four league assists for the campaign.Â
The former Sevilla star, 28, also chips in when it comes to goals. He has scored five times in Ligue 1 this term, including the winner in last week’s vital 1-0 victory over Bordeaux.Â
Danilo PereiraÂ
Trying to usurp the likes of Marco Verratti, Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye is no easy task and on-loan Porto midfielder Danilo Pereira has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth in the centre of the park.Â
But the anchorman, 29, has still featured in 15 league matches, proving remarkably efficient at retaining possession by completing 70.18 passes per 90 minutes with a 91.25% accuracy — among Ligue 1’s top 10 performers.Â
Like the rest of PSG’s talented squad players, the Portuguese international remains a vital cog in their challenge for the treble — even if he does not start the showpiece matches like tonight’s clash with Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are Paris Saint-Germain’s headliners — but there is a whole band backing up Mauricio Pochettino’s regulars.
Although Les Parisiens are still competing on three fronts, they have a number of injuries ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona tonight, which they lead 4-1.Â
With a Ligue 1 title race and the latter stages of a Coupe de France campaign to contend with alongside European ambitions, which squad players could prove key to their hopes of an unprecedented treble?
RafinhaÂ
Former Barcelona midfielder Rafinha (pictured above) has only started 11 league matches for PSG since his arrival last summer — but the 28-year-old Brazilian has already made quite an impact.Â
His four league assists for the season average out at 0.36 per 90 minutes played, which puts him inside the top 10 players in France’s top flight. So why is he not getting more game time?Â
When asked that question last month, Pochettino said:Â
"All the decisions are football-related. In Rafa’s case, he was impacted by coronavirus when we arrived.Â
"We have a strong squad and we take decisions. It is important to be ready when the moment comes. These are footballing decisions and he will have opportunities."
Colin Dagba
On-loan Roma star Alessandro Florenzi remains the first-choice right-back for PSG’s biggest matches but Colin Dagba, 22, is a more than competent rotation option.Â
Composed with the ball at his feet, he has completed 90.17% of his passes this season (20th in Ligue 1), maintaining the form when given the opportunity that saw him linked with a move to German giants Bayern Munich last summer.
Layvin KurzawaÂ
Layvin Kurzawa appeared to be on the verge of signing for Arsenal in January 2020 but instead extended his stay in Paris, where he has proven to be a very useful back-up left-back.
Now closing in on 150 appearances in all competitions over six seasons with the club, his strength lies in his dynamism down the left flank.Â
The 28-year-old Frenchman likes to play particularly high up the field, bombing up and down the touchline before linking up with PSG’s attackers to provide 1.4 shot-creating actions per 90 minutes.Â
Pablo SarabiaÂ
Despite starting five matches since Pochettino’s arrival, Pablo Sarabia has been in and out of the side this season.Â
But the attacking midfielder’s eye-catching numbers suggest he should be one of the first names on his manager’s team sheet.Â
Only fellow PSG star Angel Di Maria (1.00) has created more big chances per 90 minutes of action than Sarabia (0.99), resulting in four league assists for the campaign.Â
The former Sevilla star, 28, also chips in when it comes to goals. He has scored five times in Ligue 1 this term, including the winner in last week’s vital 1-0 victory over Bordeaux.Â
Danilo PereiraÂ
Trying to usurp the likes of Marco Verratti, Ander Herrera and Idrissa Gueye is no easy task and on-loan Porto midfielder Danilo Pereira has struggled to nail down a regular starting berth in the centre of the park.Â
But the anchorman, 29, has still featured in 15 league matches, proving remarkably efficient at retaining possession by completing 70.18 passes per 90 minutes with a 91.25% accuracy — among Ligue 1’s top 10 performers.Â
Like the rest of PSG’s talented squad players, the Portuguese international remains a vital cog in their challenge for the treble — even if he does not start the showpiece matches like tonight’s clash with Barcelona.