Champions Trophy. Paris SG – FC Nantes, this Sunday (8 p.m.)
After their tour of Japan, Christophe Galtier’s Paris Saint-Germain are tackling their first competitive match and first test, the Champions Trophy against Nantes, without Kylian Mbappé suspended, this Sunday evening in Tel Aviv (Israel). “We want this trophy to start the season in the best conditions. We know how important it is, ”says Gianluigi Donnarumma to the club media.
The Italian goalkeeper, who starts the season in the role of the holder, after a year sharing the position with Keylor Navas, does not forget that last summer Mauricio Pochettino’s PSG missed this first step. He had been beaten by Lille (1-0) where Galtier, champion of France 2021, had given way to Jocelyn Gourvennec.
The new coach will be able to break in his system in 3-5-2. During his Japanese tour where he was also able to measure his great popularity, PSG rolled over his opponents, successively beating Kawasaki Frontale (2-1), Urawa Red Diamonds (3-0) and Gamba Osaka (6-2) .
Absentees and Undesirables
But FC Nantes of Antoine Kombouaré, winner of the Coupe de France, is of a different stamp and represents a good test for Galtier. The two men appreciate each other, they had made an assault of courtesies before the final of last May won by the Kanak in front of Nice du Sudiste (1-0).
But this time Galtier has the golden workforce of PSG. « It’s up to me to show that I’m capable of leading an army of very, very great players, » he told L’Équipe in mid-July. “If I hadn’t felt able to take on this pressure, I would have been elsewhere”. For the Champions Trophy, he is deprived of one of them, Mbappé, suspended for excessive yellow cards at the end of last season. The 2018 world champion will not be replaced by newcomer Hugo Ekitike, on loan from Reims, who suffers from a thigh and has not made the trip, like Mbappé.
The « undesirables » of PSG also remained in Paris: Georginio Wijnaldum, Ander Herrera, Julian Draxler, Layvin Kurzawa, Thilo Kehrer and Rafinha, while waiting to find takers on the transfer market. Galtier should give playing time to the latest recruit, Nordi Mukiele (ex-Leipzig), who could return as a right piston or central defender since he was chosen in particular for his versatility. In attack, the absence of Mbappé leaves room for Pablo Sarabia, convincing in Japan, to complete the attacking trio alongside Leo Messi and Neymar.
Sold out
Behind the Spaniard await Arnaud Kalimuendo, who still does not know if he will stay at the club, or even Mauro Icardi.
In Nantes, which will return to European competitions this season, Kombouaré must also integrate rookies, Euro 2016 finalist Moussa Sissoko or Egyptian striker Mostafa Mohamed, on loan from Galatasaray.
The match will be sold out, like last year at the Bloomfield stadium where PSG have always lost: in 2021 against Losc and in August 2010 (4-3) against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the Europa League play-offs ( after winning 2-0 in the first leg).
After the United States, Gabon, China, Morocco or Austria, Ligue 1 returns to Israel to expose its « League of talents » to a foreign audience, with the international television rights of the championship in the background. PSG have won this Champions Trophy a record ten times, including eight of the last nine contested. Nantes has not won since 2001, against RC Strasbourg (4-1). Who will start their season best?
