Paris will be today, starting at 9:00 p.m., the epicenter of world football. PSG and Real Madrid open the round of 16 of the Champions League in a tie not suitable for heart patients and with two squads that, with the permission of Bayern, Liverpool or Chelsea, can be considered among the best in the world. In an interview with Le Parisien, Emmanuel Petit, former RMC Sport player and analyst, has analyzed the keys to the game, as well as having words for Mbappé, who he considers should be inspired by Benzema.
“After the departure of Thierry Henry, for me, his successor as French striker is Karim Benzema. And now we have the relief of Kylian Mbappé for the next few years. It’s about excellence. They are examples for their generation. The cursor has been set very high with Henry, Benzema and Mbappé. And we tell ourselves that they can go even further,” Petit stressed regarding the level of Benzema and Mbappé.
Regarding the evolution of the crack of PSG in his game, he added: “Yes, he understood that he could not make the difference all the time by himself. Especially against big teams, with older players, more tactically mature in terms of movement, coverage and more forceful in duels. How did Karim. Honestly, when I see the competition he’s faced… Kylian must be inspired by Benzema. I know you are very demanding with yourself. He knows very well that his percussion and speed abilities will have to be compensated at some point by the intelligence of the game and by the bond with his teammates”
He also had words for the equality of the tie between Parisians and whites: “We have Real Madrid, who are very used to managing these games, with very experienced players who are used to this kind of pressure. And, on the other hand, there is PSG, who have gained confidence after a final and a semi-final. But there are so many connotations… Karim Benzema, Carlo Ancelotti who trained PSG, Lionel Messi, the rumors surrounding Kylian Mbappé…. There are so many questions and unanswered questions. That’s why I’m also looking forward to this match. Like all PSG fans, those who love PSG a little or those who want a good performance from French clubs, I want PSG to put on an XXL performance. I’m not asking for too much: I just want to see a great game, that we all enjoy and say “what a great game it was”.