Tag PSGBorussia Dortmund

Neymar
Dortmund (Germany), Feb. 17, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Paris St-Germain (PSG) forward Neymar is expected to play on Tuesday against Borussia Dortmund in their UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg tie after overcoming a rib injury.

PSG coach Thomas Tuchel disclosed this on Monday.

The Brazilian did not play in the club’s 4-4 Ligue 1 draw at Amiens over the weekend when Tuchel rested some other players.

“He is here (in Dortmund). He will train and if all goes well he will play tomorrow (Tuesday). Because for us it changes almost everything when he plays and I hope he will play,” said Tuchel.

PSG have been knocked out at this stage in the past three seasons and are desperate to leave a mark on the competition.

“(Neymar) changes everything because if he plays we have his quality and confidence and ability to do (the) decisive.

“It changes everything… because if he does not play we have no other player with that quality to replace him.”

Tuchel, who coached Borussia Dortmund for two seasons before going to Paris, will need to devise a plan to stop the Germans’ formidable attack.

They have scored 22 goals in their five Bundesliga games this year.

“It is absolutely necessary to play with a lot of confidence in this stadium with such fans and such an opponent. Otherwise, you cannot survive,” he added before the clash at Signal Iduna Park.

“We have the team spirit to overcome difficult situations, adapt to different scenarios. That’s the key.”

PSG are under extreme pressure to finally deliver in Europe after spending big money on players in the past few seasons to build a winning squad.

They came agonisingly close to a quarter-final spot last year only to be eliminated by Manchester United with a stoppage-time penalty kick in the second leg.

“If you lose in the round of 16 for three years and you arrive for a fourth time it is clear it is not the same situation,” Tuchel said.

“Every year has its story and maybe we have to accept that it is sport. There are doctors, much more important professions, we play sports but it happens that you lose.

“Maybe later we can breathe a bit easier. We are here and it is important to make the most of it.”(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

Talent
Dortmund (Germany), Feb. 17, 2020 (Reuters /NAN) Paris St-Germain (PSG) have an abundance of talent and the potential absence of Brazilian Neymar does not make them less dangerous, Borussia Dortmund’s coach Lucien Favre said on Monday.

Forward Neymar has been sidelined for weeks with a rib injury.

He also missed their 4-4 draw in Ligue 1 against struggling Amiens on Saturday, along with several other key players who were rested.

“They have so many players with great qualities and they beat Real Madrid (in the group stage) even without Neymar,” Favre told a news conference ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League last 16 first leg fixture.

The French team beat Real Madrid 3-0 in Paris while drawing 2-2 in the second game in Spain.

“Neymar is obviously a great player but so is (Kylian) Mbappe and (Angel) Di Maria. I can name at least 10 players on that team with huge potential,” Favre added.

Borussia Dortmund will have to be at their defensive best if they are to contain the French side’s speed.

They did that well during their 4-0 Bundesliga win over Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday.

“If Neymar plays tomorrow (Tuesday) and I am pretty sure he is going to play, then we have to take care of him.

“But they have so many good players. We have to be compact and we have to defend as a team and really be strong,” Borussia Dortmund’s midfielder Axel Witsel also said.

The second leg is in Paris on March 11.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)