Welcome to another episode of PSG Talking, our flagship show where we discuss Paris Saint-Germain’s latest results, breaking news, and upcoming fixtures. It’s been a little while since we last jumped on the mic but today is International Podcast Day so we put together something special for all of our listeners.
On this episode, I take up the hosting duties and I’m joined by fellow PSG Talk contributors Guilaume and Pola, who makes her first appearance on the podcast. Pola is a former Chicagoan who now lives in Paris and is a season ticket holder to Paris Saint-Germain. As someone who is not a native French speaker, we thought we would get her thoughts on the L’Equipe report that Neymar Jr. apparently doesn’t speak French. Several ESPN analysts picked up on the story and went overboard with their comments about Neymar but Pola eloquently explains her point of view, which is much more level-headed as you might imagine. From there, the conversation stays on Neymar but turns into a discussion about how the PSG Ultras treat him during games and their reaction after he scores a goal.
The Parc des Princes is a legendary stadium and if you’ve never been, you’ll really enjoy Pola and Guillaume’s description of the atmosphere and the chants coming from the different ends of the stadium. A bathtub-like design amplifies the roar of the crowd and the chanting is what sold Pola on becoming a PSG supporter.
From there, Guillaume and I discuss PSG’s recent string of matches, including the wins over Olympique Lyonnais and Girondins de Bordeaux and unfortunately, the loss to Stade de Reims. Is Thomas Tuchel taking Ligue 1 for granted by starting an undermanned squad against domestic opponents like Reims? Without Neymar’s three game-winning goals this season, PSG would be in serious trouble of defending their Ligue 1 title.
We also talk about some of the Lyon fans who threw trash at Neymar during PSG’s recent trip to the Groupama Stadium. The Brazilian went on to score the game-winning goal but between having objects thrown at him and opponents kicking him in the ankle with intent to harm, it’s becoming a serious situation that someone in the PSG front office will need to monitor and handle in the appropriate manner.
Finally, we preview the UEFA Champions League match away at Galatasaray S.K. What do fans expect from this game and what will the starting lineup look like? Kylian Mbappé was able to play a few minutes against Bordeaux last weekend but this will be a real test of his injured hamstring. How long can he last and is Tuchel risking additional damage by playing the 20-year-old? All will be revealed on Tuesday and we’ll be covering the game throughout the day. Allez Paris!
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