Sports Burst - PSG Pressure Piles on Poch
PSG face the Lille engine that could in the Coupe de France as Pochettino recalls unprecedented time at PSG
Wednesday's Lille match starts season-defining double for PSG with a Ligue 1 clash against Lyon to come
Mauricio Pochettino has had the most '2020' of times since perching himself on the Parc des Princes bench at PSG at the beginning of 2021.
Added to the complications of taking over a side in the middle of the season and having to win every single competition the team is in, a whole stack of other challenges have been thrown in for good measure.
There's players dropping out of the line-up due to COVID-19, the ongoing absence of Neymar who is missing again for another key game for PSG today, and having to substitute a footballer midway through a match due to a home invasion ordeal suffered by his family.
"No coaching staff has ever gone through what we are living through," noted Pochettino on Tuesday talking ahead of today's Last 16 Coupe de France match against Lille.
"We've had more than 10 injuries, we've had the coronavirus affecting the players," recalled the PSG coach, "we must also deal with the off-field circumstances like Sunday." The good news on that front is that both Marquinhos and Angel Di Maria are in today's matchday squad with Pochettino reporting that both players are "fine" but obviously suffering stress.
One player that isn't in the squad is Juan Bernat with the footballer out for much of the season with a cruciate ligament injury. However, the Spanish fullback was given a new four-year deal due his current contract ending this summer.
Today's Coupe de France winner-takes-all match against high-flying Lille forms part of a big double-header for PSG with a Ligue 1 match against Lyon on Sunday. Poch could do with a little less pressure in his life with a win starting today. PSG vs. Lille is live on beIN SPORTS from 12:40PM ET.
Barca look set to confirm Laporta as president after late scare
Speaking of teams having troubled years, Barcelona are very much in the 'PSG, hold my beer camp' with added police raids thrown in for good measure on what Ronald Koeman has had to deal with in 2021, on top of everything else.
Another crisis looks like being averted with the news that Joan Laporta, who won the recent presidential elections, can actually become president. To do so, Laporta had to present a guarantee for a sum of money worth 15% of the club's annual budget - $150 million.
In theory, it's a statute to 'encourage' those in charge of the club not to run it into the ground and do dodgy financial deals - if such a thing could ever happen!
That looked in doubt when one of Laporta's key financial supporters backed out over the weekend. However, another source has been found and Barcelona are expected to formally confirm Laporta as the new club president rather than have to run the election all over again.
Atletico Madrid face the New Atletico Madrid in the Champions League
Real Madrid moved comfortably through their Champions League test on Wednesday with a 3-1 victory over Atalanta in their Last 16 tie to give a 4-1 overall score.
And now it is time for Atletico Madrid's challenge, but there are two disadvantages for the Rojiblancos - the team are playing on the road against Chelsea in Stamford Bridge and Atletico are already 1-0 down from the first leg.
The challenge reaches boss level proportions in that Chelsea are very much the new Atletico Madrid under Thomas Tuchel and barely conceding any goals. In fact the club has racked up five clean sheets in a row against Atletico Madrid, Manchester United, Liverpool, Everton and Leeds United.
Those gung-ho, all on the attack tactics beloved by Diego Simeone will come in handy today.
The Sports Burst live show will be looking back, ahead and beyond at all of this on our beIN XTRA channel at 11AM ET.
And join us for a night of Copa Libertadores action on beIN SPORTS with two clinching games in the qualifying phase starting at 6:15PM ET with Universidad Catolica trying to fight back from 1-0 deficit against Libertad. Just one of 17 matches on the network across five different competitions.
But before the South American kick-ball commences, there's plenty of other action to keep you glued to your seat: Sevilla, fresh off a derby-day win, will look to consolidate fourth spot against relegation-battlers Elche, while 16 African teams battle it out across the network in the CAF Confederation Cup.