Furthermore, bizarre comments by sporting director Leonardo -- who spent two years as a player at Valencia in the early 1990s -- will come back to bite PSG if they are unable to see off their Spanish opponents.Maybe we are not made to play in games like these," claimed the Brazilian after the defeat to a Reims side that had won just once in their previous 19 matches in all competitions.Paris Saint-Germain are under pressure to clinch their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League at Valencia's expense after their latest below-par domestic performance.The French club are top of Ligue 1 and lead Valencia 2-1 from the first leg of their last-16 tie, but a 1-0 defeat away to Reims on Saturday came as a blow to Carlo Ancelotti's squad before Wednesday's game at the Parc des Princes.All will be well in the French capital if Ancelotti's side can progress to the quarter-finals of Europe's elite club competition, but they will need to cope without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who begins a two-match European ban handed down for his sending-off towards the end of the first leg.
Italian midfielder Marco Verratti is also banned, meaning a Champions League start could be in the offing for David Beckham, who failed to make an impression as a substitute at the weekend.They are two important players. Ibrahimovic holds the ball up well and Verratti is young, good technically and controls the way his team plays," said Valencia's French left-back Aly Cissokho.They will miss them, but they have players who can replace them such as Beckham or (Jeremy) Menez."Valencia come into the game on a run of just one defeat in their last ten outings in La Liga, even if that was a 5-0 home defeat at the hands of a Real Madrid side who, like PSG, are adept at tearing opponents apart on the break.Ernesto Valverde's men are fifth in La Liga, one point adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots for next season, although they could have been in an even better position had they not conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home against cross-town rivals Levante at the weekend.
Italian midfielder Marco Verratti is also banned, meaning a Champions League start could be in the offing for David Beckham, who failed to make an impression as a substitute at the weekend.They are two important players. Ibrahimovic holds the ball up well and Verratti is young, good technically and controls the way his team plays," said Valencia's French left-back Aly Cissokho.They will miss them, but they have players who can replace them such as Beckham or (Jeremy) Menez."Valencia come into the game on a run of just one defeat in their last ten outings in La Liga, even if that was a 5-0 home defeat at the hands of a Real Madrid side who, like PSG, are adept at tearing opponents apart on the break.Ernesto Valverde's men are fifth in La Liga, one point adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots for next season, although they could have been in an even better position had they not conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home against cross-town rivals Levante at the weekend.
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