With most European leagues having attain double digits when it comes to fixtures performed, few have two high-profile coaches of massive golf equipment beneath fireplace as Ligue 1 does with Marseille’s Andre Villas-Boas and Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Tuchel in growing problem over the previous few weeks.
Each French giants have struggled relative to their particular person conditions within the Champions League with the Parisiens having misplaced twice already and Marseille having not even scored a aim not to mention picked up a degree.
Marseille and PSG proceed to push on on the prime of the Championnat however Tuchel’s males have already suffered extra defeats — three — than common and a kind of was an ill-tempered unbeaten series-ending dwelling loss to OM.
It is a crucial interval arising with essential home and continental encounters on the horizon and each the German and Villas-Boas wanted optimistic outcomes this weekend to take a few of the stress off.
MARSEILLE
The Portuguese wanted some reduction after one other terrible Champions League efficiency resulted in an undesirable new document of 13 consecutive defeats — the worst within the competitors’s historical past — and he acquired it on Saturday with Marseille’s 3-1 dwelling win over Nantes to shut on the Ligue 1 summit.
Florian Thauvin, Dimitri Payet and Dario Benedetto all discovered the again of the online with Valentin Rongier and Mickel Cuisance offering a few of the ammunition at Stade Velodrome on a day when OM paid their respects to the legendary late Diego Maradona.
Thauvin’s was his first aim since October to finish a run of six matches with out scoring whereas Payet’s was his first since early final month and ended a five-game streak and Benedetto’s was his first of the season in any competitors.
Whereas Marseille’s European wounds will take a while to heal, they do nonetheless have the potential of securing third spot and a Europa League berth — if a moody Villas-Boas truly fancies it — with Olympiacos inside attain if the 1992-93 winners can finish their dreadful run.
The brighter information for the Phoceens is the truth that they’re now inside six factors of Ligue 1 leaders PSG with two video games in hand due to current COVID-19 fixture postponements so the Portuguese might nonetheless pull this season out of the fireplace — domestically.
PSG
PSG’s midweek win over RB Leipzig ought to have eased the stress on Tuchel and whereas it did in an instantaneous sense in Champions League Group H, it was nonetheless tense post-match as the previous Borussia Dortmund boss misplaced his mood with a journalist who questioned his gamers’ dedication.
“I get the impression that you just at all times ask the identical issues,” stated Tuchel in the beginning of his outburst. “The questions are at all times the identical! Why do not you go and ask them within the dressing room — when you have the balls to try this. They’re useless in there! They gave the whole lot and confirmed coronary heart.
“I’m sick and bored with this — I’m uninterested in being measured towards your expectations! When you’ve got any guts, go and ask your questions within the dressing room. You will note that they’re all knackered after giving the whole lot.”
Whereas PSG’s efficiency was unimaginative within the excessive, they did take all three factors to maneuver again above Leipzig within the Group H desk forward of subsequent Wednesday’s journey to Outdated Trafford with Manchester United an extra three in entrance having already gained in Paris.
Timothee Pembele scored an personal aim 10 minutes into his full senior debut in an unhelpful 2-2 draw with Bordeaux earlier than a Neymar penalty through Video Assisted Refereeing (VAR) and a quickfire Moise Kean effort have been cancelled out by Yacine Adli’s beautiful end towards his formative membership.
The consequence leaves PSG susceptible on the prime with in-form Lille in scorching pursuit and Tuchel’s males proceed to drop uncharacteristic because the specter of Monaco’s shock 2016-17 title looms massive in a season of surprising happenings.
A win in Manchester will possible maintain Tuchel protected till the winter break however continued faulty performances will maintain the stress on the 47-year-old who’s unlikely to have his contract prolonged by sporting director Leonardo when it expires subsequent the summer time.
The large query is: will he even attain the top of it? Separation feels more and more inevitable with PSG’s collective abilities stagnating additional with every passing match and Tuchel seemingly out of concepts and need.
