Paris Saint-Germain’s UEFA Champions League semifinal tie against Manchester City will kick off this week and yet, there are still plenty of questions for the French powerhouse. From injury concerns to tactical approach, PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino has his hands full ahead of this showdown with the current Premier League leaders.
Over this season’s Champions League knockout stage, Pochettino has not shied away from experimenting with new tactical setups. The Argentine manager could very well opt for a surprise switch to his game plan for the upcoming fixture against Manchester City.
Following PSG’s Ligue 1 win against Metz, Pochettino spoke about Marco Verratti, who had just produced a standout performance on both ends of the pitch in the match. As Pochettino detailed further (via Le Parisien), the Argentine manager may be open to playing Verratti much higher up the pitch than usual for the Manchester City bout.
“We are very happy with what Marco [Verratti] has done,” Pochettino said. “He was able to play 90 minutes. We saw him with energy. He is an important player who can bring us a lot of things.
“Marco is a player who can travel long distances. You can’t fix him in one position. He is able to read what the team is asking for at different times. We have to find the balance to respond to what the team needs.”
This is not new for Verratti as he has been tasked with playing the central attacking midfielder role in numerous fixtures under Pochettino. But for Pochettino to play Verratti in this role against Manchester City would surely alter the team’s overall attacking game plan for the match.
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