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Paris Saint-Germain go up against Atalanta in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League. PSG are still chasing the elusive Champions League dream and the form that Atalanta are in, they could be in for a real test this time around.
Owing to the Covid pandemic, the quarter-finals will not have 2 legs as UEFA have adopted a knockout tournament format in order to expedite this awfully long season's conclusion.
Paris Saint-Germain had dispatched Borussia Dortmund in the Round of 16, 3-2 on aggregate. Meanwhile, Atalanta won 8-4 on aggregate against Valencia with Josep Ilicic scoring all 4 of their goals in the second leg which they won 4-3.
The UEFA Champions League matches are now being held in Portugal and it looks set to be a gruelling encounter for PSG. Let's take a look at 5 reasons why Paris Saint-Germain could struggle against Atalanta.
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#5 Injuries could cost PSG dearly
PSG go into the game without Marco Verratti and Laywin Kurzawa. In addition to that, Kylian Mbappe's involvement remains a doubt after recovering quite quickly from an ankle injury. To make matters worse, Angel Di Maria is suspended for the game.
It's all bad news for Paris Saint-Germain on the team news front. There is no need to keep rambling about how Mbappe immediately improves PSG's attack. Verratti and Di Maria are key to PSG's attacks and quick counters and without their creativity, Paris Saint-Germain could end up being over-reliant on Neymar against an in-form Atalanta.
#4 Atalanta's 3-4-1-2 formation will help them overload PSG's midfield
Atalanta will miss Josep Ilicic who has opted out of the rest of the season owing to personal reasons. However, they have enough firepower in their ranks and they have always been able to create a lot of chances for their attackers and that is, in no small part, thanks to their formation.
Hans Hateboer, Remo Freuler, Marten de Roon and Robin Gosens are all Atalanta mainstays and have played with each other since 2017. The central midfielders often interchange positions with the left-back and help Atalanta switch up their play according to how PSG set themselves up.
The overload in midfield could affect PSG if they go ahead with their favoured 4-3-3 formation and particularly so in the absence of Verratti and Di Maria.
#3 Paris Saint-Germain have all the pressure
Atalanta have been on an inspiring run and they will count anything beyond finishing in the top 4 in the Serie A a bonus. But they would sure love to upset the Parisians tonight. They definitely have the talent and the firepower to do it.
Meanwhile, memories of a forgettable night in Paris against Manchester United from last season could haunt PSG. Paris Saint-Germain got knocked out in the Round of 16 after starting the home game with a 2-0 advantage. A young, injury-stricken Manchester United unit beat them 3-1 much to the disappointment of their fans and everyone involved.
PSG have a reputation for bottling it in the UEFA Champions League. They have been the victims of one of the most incredible knockout stage comebacks against Barcelona, losing the away game 6-1 after winning the home fixture 4-0.
#2 Zapata and Muriel will cause a lot of problems for Silva and Kimpembe
Duvan Zapata and Luis Muriel have been in incredibly good goalscoring form this term for the Serie A side. Muriel has largely been used as a super-sub this season and Zapata is expected to start tonight.
Thiago Silva is a no-nonsense defender. But he might find it difficult to cope with the absolute powerhouse that Zapata is. Zapata scored 18 goals and provided 6 assists from 28 appearances in the Serie A this term.
The 29-year-old is not only a great finisher but he also likes to get involved in the build-up and has created some wonderful chances for his teammates throughout the season. The Colombian is also an aerial threat and Silva and Kimpembe will need to be at their best in order to contain him.
#1 More chances of an upset in a one-leg tie
The UEFA Champions League knockout stages have always been a good test of a team's consistency and mentality as there's only so much luck can do for a team over a period of 180 minutes. However, now that the Champions League has adopted a tournament format from the quarter-finals, things have turned on their head.
We will have a winner at the end of the night and all Atalanta will need is a stroke of luck to scrape through and Paris Saint-Germain wouldn't be able to come back from it. It's cruel to the Ligue 1 champions as they are without some of their best players.
Don't get us wrong. Atalanta are a very good team themselves and might not end up needing any luck to go through. But it has to be said that going into the game, PSG's unfortunate situation could lead to their undoing.
