On Monday, December 15, the French press (on the sporting side) focused on Paris Saint-Germain’s trip to Doha yesterday to face Flamengo in Qatar this Wednesday in the final of the Intercontinental Cup (a competition that brings together the winners of the “Champions League”, and its equivalents, from different parts of the world) and on the points scored by Matvey Safonov (26-year-old goalkeeper) in the competition with Lucas Chevalier (24 years old).
Le Parisien –
L’Equipe –
PSG have already travelled to Qatar to prepare for their match, and the squad is now known. Excellent news: Achraf Hakimi (27-year-old right-back) is the only absentee, as he is completing his treatment with Morocco ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations. Paris are regaining strength, which is encouraging, even though it is still unclear who will start the match — particularly Ousmane Dembélé (28-year-old forward) and Marquinhos (31-year-old defender and captain).
As for Safonov, he remains an option. Competition is strong in Luis Enrique’s eyes, and the Russian goalkeeper has performed well. However, it would be premature to push Chevalier aside too quickly. He has shown real quality and was signed with the intention of taking on a long-term role. As often, a bit of perspective is useful. Ultimately, it is up to head coach Luis Enrique to make his choices based on his expectations, training sessions, and match performances.
