Christophe Jallet, former right-back for Paris Saint-Germain (2009-2014) and the French national team (16 caps), now a pundit for Canal+, spoke to Le Parisien about the Champions League semi-final that PSG will play against Bayern Munich on April 28 and May 6. He sees a slight advantage for the Parisians, but above all, a major challenge.
Jallet: “The final before the final.”
“It’s a bit like the final before the final. There are top-class players, experience, and passion on both sides. They are teams with fairly similar profiles and both exude great collective strength.
The Bavarians have long spells of possession, with a very high defensive line. In most cases, they can suffocate the opposition and then launch counter-attacks thanks to their technical quality. I’m curious to see which team will manage to dominate territorially, as Paris has always had the upper hand in that area in the first leg against Chelsea and Liverpool.
Jallet: “This is the biggest challenge PSG has faced recently.”
Looking at the two quarter-finals, I’d give PSG a 55% chance of winning, because they were twice as solid, even when things got tough. They were pragmatic and solid enough to keep a clean sheet, unlike Bayern.
But we’re coming up with a match that everyone is waiting for.” In terms of match level and altitude, this is one of the biggest tests for Luis Enrique. The final was one, and the matches against Barça were also tough. This is the biggest challenge PSG has faced recently.
Everyone can play at picking a favorite while waiting for these two big matches, and it seems almost endless given the strengths of each team. PSG showed a bit more solidity in the quarterfinals, but it’s also worth noting that they didn’t have the same opponents. In any case, even if these are points to analyze, the other matches don’t decide the outcome. Only the reality of these two evenings will count.
Paris has many strengths and is aiming for the final, like Bayern Munich. This will undoubtedly come after two very high-level matches. We can understand the idea of a “final,” while Atlético Madrid and Arsenal, in the other semifinal, are less of a “giant” at the moment. They will still have their chances in the final.
We are a little more surprised by the “test” for Luis. Enrique. First of all, because it’s an almost tiresome concept in top-level football. As if a team could suddenly become very strong or somewhat weak because of a single match, especially against another top team in Europe. We have to accept that losing is possible, without shame or deep self-doubt. The end of Jallet’s statement seems more accurate, with “the biggest challenge.” It should simply be clarified that this is also the case for Bayern.
