This Tuesday, as part of the second leg of the Champions League 2024-2025 quarter-finals (Paris won 3-1 in the first leg), Paris Saint-Germain take on Aston Villa at Villa Park (kick-off 9pm, CET). On the eve of the match, the press tried to guess the team that will be fielded by Paris coach Luis Enrique.
Le Parisien (4-3-3) –
Kvaratskhelia – Dembélé – Barcola
Ruiz – Vitinha – Neves
Mendes – Pacho – Marquinhos – Hakimi
Donnarumma
L’Equipe (4-3-3) –
Kvaratskhelia – Dembélé – Barcola
Ruiz – Vitinha – Neves
Mendes – Pacho – Marquinhos – Hakimi
Donnarumma
Given the squad, this team seems possible, but we’re bound to remain cautious. There’s no such thing as a sure thing with a Luis Enrique who knows how to surprise and doesn’t usually give the press any hints. Here, we can easily assume that the team will be close to that of the first leg, except that some changes are possible.
In particular, Marquinhos is set to return to the starting line-up now that his suspension has been served, while Lucas Beraldo is expected to start on the bench. The other suspense seems to be in attack, with Bradley Barcola likely to start this time. But in whose place? It’s hard to pick out one of the regulars, even if having more space might suit Barcola’s profile better. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Désiré Doué wouldn’t mind having space either.
