PSG Makes Cryptic Plans Before Arsenal UCL Tie
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) is again making gigantic strides in the UEFA Champions League. They have forever had the aim of landing their first-ever Champions League title. They are now three matches away from achieving that dream. The Ligue 1 giants have made one UCL final, which came in a COVID-affected campaign in 2020.
Standing in the way of PSG are Arsenal, another team dreaming of a first Champions League title. The Gunners are considered the betting favorites to lift their first European Cup this season after successfully dismantling defending champions Real Madrid, 5-1 on aggregate. With the hype around this semifinal building, PSG is making some crucial decisions regarding their talisman, Achraf Hakimi.
PSG’s Plans For Achraf Hakimi
PSG played a 1-1 draw against Nantes in Ligue 1. However, that match didn’t carry any weight as the French giants were already crowned Ligue 1 champions. Manager Luis Enrique had the option to rest some of his key players going into the Champions League semifinal against Arsenal. The former Barcelona manager has done just that.
Hakimi was not in the squad, which drew the attention of many Ligue 1 correspondents. However, the reasons have now been revealed to the football fraternity. Reliable French journalist Fabrice Hawkins said Enrique decided to drop Hakimi due to the overall perspective of PSG’s season. The Spanish manager was aware of managing the workload of his key players, looking into the first leg of the Champions League semifinal and the Coupe de France final against Reims.
Hawkins has confirmed that Hakimi doesn’t have any injury. The former Real Madrid defender has been told to prepare himself for the upcoming important matches. However, the Morocco defender will likely not play any more Ligue 1 games with the title already wrapped up.
What is at stake for PSG?
PSG has a huge Champions League semifinal against Arsenal to look forward to. Although they may have lost to the Gunners in the group stage matches, they can change the script in the knockout stages. However, that is not the only storyline the Ligue 1 giants will look into. Despite winning the title, they still have important objectives to look at in Ligue 1.
PSG is on course to become the first side in Ligue 1 history to go the entire season unbeaten since the start of the French league. During the weekend, they drew 1-1 against Nantes, which was only the sixth game in which they shared the points. To create history, they only need to escape defeat in four more Ligue 1 games.
The biggest objective is undoubtedly the Champions League. They hope to secure a spot in their second-ever Champions League final. The French giants lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in 2020 with a star-studded squad that included Neymar and Kylian Mbappe. PSG will now be the hosts against Nice in Friday’s Ligue 1 game before they travel to London for the first leg of the Champions League semifinal.
Final Thoughts
PSG’s planning around Hakimi shows their Champions League plans. They badly want to land their first European Cup this season, and this is where Luis Enrique has to earn his salary. The Spanish manager knows what it takes to lift the Champions League, as he guided Barcelona to the treble season in 2015. However, critics claim his success was mainly around the formidable duo of Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez.
Now, he has a chance to do something special with a PSG squad that came into the season after losing Mbappe. If he can rewrite history books, he will join the likes of Sir Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho to win multiple Champions League titles. Big months ahead for Enrique.
