Sigooo : Paris Saint-Germain may be with out celeb Neymar against Real Madrid within the 2d leg in their Champions League spherical-of-16 tie on Tuesday, however even as instruct Unai Emery has a equipped-made alternative in Angel Di Maria, he has 3 essential decisions to make some place else.
Since the Brazil global went down and stayed down during the 3-zero Ligue 1 win over Marseille, all of the talk surrounding the French capital outfit's probabilities of overcoming their 3-1 deficit from the first leg towards Real has centred at the issues posed by means of Neymar's harm. However, it's miles in valuable defence, at left-again and in protective midfield where PSG should win or lose this tie, now not within the 26-12 months-old's traditional berth huge on the left of the assault.
Di Maria, 30, has been in amazing form for the reason that begin of 2018 and has delivered four goals from four appearances because the first leg at Santiago Bernabeu -- along with a double against bitter opponents Marseille within the 2nd instalment of Le Classique in the Coupe de France last week. With Kylian Mbappe in all likelihood to start, notwithstanding a latest ankle knock, and Julian Draxler extra adept at playing in primary midfield than in assault this season, it might be a massive surprise if Di Maria does now not begin at Parc des Princes on Tuesday.
That said, it become a big wonder that Emery did not deliver the Argentina global a unmarried minute at some stage in the first leg in Madrid. Surely, this time, Di Maria will get the start his latest form merits, and El Fideo might be in a position to show that within the absence of Neymar, he has some thing to offer on the largest level.
What is less sure is which selections Emery will make on the coronary heart of his defence, at the left aspect and in deep-mendacity midfield.
The Spaniard selected Presnel Kimpembe over captain Thiago Silva at Real, however with Marquinhos only just again after harm, the younger Brazilian is a threat, making a Silva-Kimpembe pairing greater in all likelihood. The captain has raised his sport for the reason that Frenchman took his starting role at Santiago Bernabeu remaining day out, so possibly Emery's decision in Spain has had the favored effect and the senior South American will produce the type of colossal display that he made his call with.
Left-back offers an exciting question for the Basque tactician because although Yuri Berchiche, who began the first leg, is a extra balanced choice in that position,
PSG need dreams and this is something that Layvin Kurzawa can help with -- with out providing tons, if anything, defensively.
The France worldwide's nice performances have almost exclusively come within the Champions League, and at the same time as Berchiche has completed properly this season and is arguably in advance of Kurzawa in Emery's pecking order, he does no longer own the same instinct in the front of goal as the former Monaco man.