Paris Saint-Germain to meet Atalanta in first UEFA Champions League QF tonight WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2020 MATCH STARTS 10PM DOHA TIME Mbappe may play, says PSG coach Tuchel DPA/AFP BERLIN WINGER Kylian Mbappe could Paris Saint-Germain’s Qatari president Nasser Al Khelaifi arrives at feature for Paris Saint-Germain the team hotel in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday, the eve of the UEFA in Wednesday’s Champions Champions League quarter-final match against Atalanta. (AFP) League quarter-final against Atalanta in Lisbon, coach Thomas Tuchel has suggested. “If he trains well and noth- Paris Saint-Ger- ing extraordinary happens main’s Brazilian he will be part of the team,” sporting director Tuchel told a virtual news con- Leonardo waits ference on Tuesday. for the start of The France star had suf- the team’s train- fered an ankle injury in the ing session at French cup final againstS t PSG’s injured coach Thomas Tuchel overlooks the team’s training the Luz stadium Etienne in mid-July and was session at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on Tuesday. (AFP) in Lisbon, Portu- initially expected to miss the gal, on Tuesday. Lisbon mini-tournament. Defender Marquinhos said the announcement comes as (AFP) It remains however unclear they have prepared “in the best a huge boost to the French whether he would start the game possible way” even though “the champions as they aim to at the Estadio da Luz or come on situation remains special.” reach the semi-finals of Eu- as a substitute, if needed. The team arrived in Lisbon rope’s elite club competition. Should Mbappe not start earlier on Tuesday after sev- Meanwhile, Tuchel refused that would put additional eral days of training on Portu- to rule midfield maestro Mar- pressure on Neymar but gal’s Algarve coast, and Tuchel co Verratti out of the rest of Tuchel said the Brazilian star warned it would take a big effort the competition, should PSG “is a player who likes big pres- to beat the debutants Atalanta go all the way. The final in Lis- sure and can handle it.” PSG who have impressed at home bon is scheduled for August 23 have only played the cup fi- and in Europe this season. with the semi-final onA ugust nal and the League Cup final “Atalanta have a unique 18 if PSG qualify. Verratti is a week later since March as style. They press all over the currently out with a calf injury. the French league was first pitch and attack. They are dif- “We must be patient with stopped and then abandoned ficult to play.I t will be a tacti- Marco,” said the German. “Last because of the coronavirus. cal match,”Tuchel said. week he couldn’t run. He has “It is a very particular situ- “Our players will have to just started again but it is going ation for us. It was very im- Paris Saint-Germain’s French forward Kylian Mbappe during the team’s work hard and suffer. We can to be very tight for the semi- Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian defender Marquinhos during the press portant to win the two finals,” training session at the Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday, eve of win but it will be very difficult.” finals. But we will try everything conference at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on Tuesday. (UEFA-AFP) Tuchel said. the UEFA Champions League quarter-final match against Atalanta.(AFP) Whether he starts or not, like we have done with Kylian.” Is this Neymar’s time in the Champions League? AFP last 16, second leg in March. when they contrived to throw Mbappe a major doubt LISBON That night Neymar scored away a 2-0 first-leg advantage. And how PSG -- in the week the opener in a 2-0 win as they Since then, the much they celebrate the 50th anni- PARIS Saint-Germain have overturned a first-leg deficit. talked about move back to versary of the club’s founding once again been hit by a flood After the game, the Brazil- Barcelona has not happened -- need him as coach Thomas of injuries going into a crunch ian sat on a step high up in the and does not look likely to Tuchel has all sorts of selec- Champions League knock-out stands at the Parc des Princes happen in the post-pandemic tion concerns elsewhere. tie, but this time Neymar is fit and cried tears of joy. market. His other superstar for- and seemingly ready to live After all, his first two sea- Wednesday’s game comes ward, Kylian Mbappe, is ex- up to his status as the world’s sons in Paris following his a day short of three years after pected to be on the bench at most expensive player. transfer from Barcelona were Neymar made his debut for best as he battles to shake off PSG face Atalanta in Lisbon marred by injuries at the worst PSG. an ankle injury suffered in on Wednesday in the first quar- possible moments. Aged 28, Neymar now fi- last month’s French Cup final ter-final of the ‘Final Eight’, First there was the broken nally seems settled in Paris against Saint-Etienne. after UEFA turned the latter metatarsal that saw him miss and is in fine shape to lead his Angel Di Maria is suspend- stages of Europe’s elite club the last 16, second leg against team against Atalanta as they ed, while the club’s all-time competition into something Real Madrid in 2018 as PSG look to progress to the Cham- record goal-scorer, Edinson akin to a World Cup after the were knocked out by the reign- pions League semi-finals for Cavani, left at the end of June PSG’s Brazilian forward Neymar (centre) laughs during training at the Luz stadium in Lisbon on Tuesday. (AFP) long coronavirus shutdown. ing champions. the first time since the Qatari when his contract expired. There will be no fans in the And history repeated it- takeover in 2011. Ironically, he has been tipped Verratti is out with a calf in- To top it all, Tuchel is on But as long as Neymar is Estadio da Luz, but the French self a year later, as another “I think I’m having my best to move to Lisbon to sign for jury and reports claim the Ital- crutches too, the German fit, SP G will remain hopeful champions coped just fine be- metatarsal injury forced him time since I came to Paris,” he Benfica. ian would possibly not even coach breaking his fifth meta- of progressing to a semi-final hind closed doors when they to miss the defeat against a said in an interview with the Perhaps most worryingly be fit for the final shouldS P G tarsal and spraining his left next week against Atletico Ma- beat Borussia Dortmund in their mediocre Manchester United, club’s website last week. of all, midfield maestro Marco make it. ankle during a workout. drid or RB Leipzig. Bayern chairman Rummenigge praises Champions League finals format DPA Where will the MUNICH The road to the title Quarter-finals tournament be BAYERN Munich chairman The biggest thrill for the 12 August: Atalanta - Paris Saint-Germain played? Karl-Heinz Rummenigge ex- fans is of course the 13 August: RB Leipzig - Atletico Madrid The venues for the pects a thrilling Champions knock-out system. The 14 August: Barcelona - Bayern Munich tournament are Benfica’s League conclusion in Lisbon better team normally 15 August: Man City - Olympique Lyon Estadio do Sport Lisboa e as the one-legged format adds prevails in two matches excitement to the elite event. Semi-finals Benfica (also known as the “The biggest thrill for the while anything is possible in 18 August: Atalanta/PSG–RB Leipzig/Atletico Madrid Estadio da Luz), which will fans is of course the knock-out one knock-out game. 19 August: Barcelona/Bayern–Man City/ Lyon host the final, and the Estadio Jose Alvalade from system. The better team nor- – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Final: 23 August mally prevails in two matches local rivals Sporting. while anything is possible in one knock-out game,” Rum- UEFA president Aleksand- menigge said on Tuesday in er Ceferin has said the format Munich. would not be used again but : A total of 359 goals have : Five substitutions are allowed per “The format is the one we Rummenigge - whose club been scored in the 112 team in each match, as was the know from the World Cup. It play Barcelona on Friday in NUMBERS 359 (of 119) matches so far, 5 case in the recently ended Bundesliga is like a European club cham- Lisbon - wouldn’t want to rule producing an average of 3.21 goals per game season. pionship. The best European it out in a future reform of GAME at a rate of one every 29 minutes. top teams are facing each oth- the elite event from 2024 on- : Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski er.” Owing to the coronavirus wards. : Bayern have set two new is the leading scorer in the crisis, the eight quarter-final- “I don’t think we need a records this term, becoming 13 Champions League this season with ists are gathering in Lisbon to bigger group stage. That is not 31 the first team to win each of their 13 goals. He is followed by Erling Haaland play out the tournament until something that thrills the fans. first eight games in the competition, and (10), who has already been eliminated with August 23 in a one-legged for- We must see that we get more scoring an unprecedented 31 times in the Borussia Dortmund, and Manchester City’s mat instead of home and away spice out of the knock-out process.