Manchester City are preparing to be without Sergio Aguero for Saturday’s Champions League match against Lyon.
Aguero is continuing his recovery from knee surgery in June, but manager Pep Guardiola says the Argentine forward has yet to join his teammates in Lisbon ahead of City’s quarterfinal.
“Sergio is still in Barcelona. If he was to come here, he would have to do a test,” Guardiola said.
“He is still in Barcelona making progress with his recovery.”
Aguero was forced to miss City’s triumph over Real Madrid in the round of 16 last week. His replacement, Gabriel Jesus, scored the deciding goal in the 2-1 victory.
It remains unclear whether the 32-year-old will be available if City manage to progress. However, Aguero reportedly expects to miss the remainder of his club’s Champions League campaign.
The winner of Saturday’s contest will take on Bayern Munich or Barcelona in the semis.
Barcelona center-back Samuel Umtiti has tested positive for COVID-19, the club confirmed Friday prior to its Champions League quarterfinal tie.
Umtiti, 26, missed Barcelona’s last seven matches in all competitions with a knee concern, and he’s “asymptomatic, is in good health, and is isolating at home,” according to the club.
“The club has informed the relevant sporting and health authorities as well as tracing all the people who have had contact with the player so that they can undergo the corresponding PCR tests,” the team added in its statement.
Barcelona are in Lisbon for the revised knockout stages of the Champions League, where they’ll face tournament favorites Bayern Munich at the Estadio da Luz.
The squad and staff were tested to meet compliance before leaving for the Portuguese capital, all returning negative results.
Paris Saint-Germain have suffered heartbreak in the Champions League before. But on Wednesday, they inflicted it.
Down 1-0 until the very last minute of regular time, PSG scored twice in quick succession to beat Atalanta 2-1 in their quarterfinal tilt. Goals from Marquinhos and substitute Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting sent PSG to the Champions League semifinals for just the second time in club history and ended Atalanta’s remarkable run in Europe.
Here’s what we learned from an unbelievable night in Lisbon:
PSG’s stars inspire comeback
Neymar was PSG’s only threat for large parts of the match. Though he missed some significant chances – including a clear breakaway against helpless ‘keeper Marco Sportiello early in the contest – Neymar was at least pulling his weight. Without the injured Marco Verratti, PSG’s midfield did little to move the play forward or create chances for the front three. Mauro Icardi was marooned on an island up front, Pablo Sarabia was unable to get involved, and Neymar was left alone to dribble through the entire team.
The Brazilian, incredibly, finished the game with 16 successful dribbles, the most in a single Champions League match since that stat has been recorded.
Eventually, he got some help.
The game changed when Kylian Mbappe stepped onto the pitch. The 21-year-old, who recovered in time from a tricky ankle injury, put tons of pressure on Atalanta’s creaking backline. Already tired from a physical match, the defenders struggled to keep up with Mbappe’s darting runs.
Neymar continued to cause chaos in and around the penalty area and ultimately provided the assist for the equalizer.
But PSG’s comeback was less by design and more out of desperation. Atalanta tried to nullify PSG with their physical play, and forced the game to a halt on several occasions. With 29 fouls and six yellow cards, Gian Piero Gasperini’s side did its best to slow down PSG’s most talented players. It just wasn’t enough.
Atalanta’s lack of depth shows
It’s no coincidence Atalanta lost this game in the second half. They simply don’t have the depth to compete with the game’s deepest – and richest – teams.
Even without Verratti and the suspended Angel Di Maria, PSG manager Thomas Tuchel could call upon Julian Draxler and Leandro Paredes off the bench. Gasperini had no choice but to throw on 19-year-old youth product Jacopo Da Riva, who came into the match with just a single minute of Serie A experience under his belt.
Atalanta were already without Josip Ilicic and starting ‘keeper Pierluigi Gollini, increasing the chances of a potential burnout. You could see the fatigue in the final minutes of the game. It’s unbelievable Atalanta were able to play with intensity for as long as they did. Marten De Roon produced a fantastic tackle on Neymar in the 76th minute, and his teammates consistently won duels in the air and on the ground. But PSG kept the pressure on, moving the ball from side to side, and Atalanta eventually cracked.
Tuchel can’t be satisfied
The look on Tuchel’s face said everything. He was ecstatic, screaming into the night like the rest of his players, and rightfully so. Comebacks don’t happen often, and they hardly happen that late in the game. But his team didn’t play well. Despite all the possession and the attempts on goal, PSG lacked the precision and the purpose that they’ll need in the semifinals against either RB Leipzig and Atletico Madrid, two clubs that also play at a high tempo.
PSG struggled against Atalanta’s press, and when they broke it, they couldn’t capitalize. The serial Ligue 1 champions didn’t play like a team. Verratti’s absence certainly had something to do with it. The Italian is often the link between midfield and attack, and he’s the kind of player to both win possession and create chances. Marquinhos, Ander Herrera, and Idrissa Gueye – all on the defensive side of the midfield spectrum – just couldn’t figure it out, forcing Neymar and Mbappe to create chances on their own.
They also have to find a way to get the ball to Icardi. He needs service to make a difference, or he might as well not play at all. Icardi managed just 21 touches before coming off in the 79th minute. Only one of them was in the penalty area.
PSG will need a more collective effort in the semifinals to ensure Wednesday’s dramatic comeback wasn’t in vain.
Paris Saint-Germain will be able to call upon Kylian Mbappe for Wednesday’s Champions League tilt against Atalanta, but only as a substitute.
PSG manager Thomas Tuchel named the French superstar to his side’s bench for the quarterfinal clash in Lisbon now that Mbappe has recovered from an ankle injury he suffered in July.
With the 21-year-old unable to feature from the opening whistle, Tuchel opted for Pablo Sarabia, Neymar, and Mauro Icardi to lead the line; the Ligue 1 champions are also without the suspended Angel Di Maria.
Mbappe was in a race against the clock after a hefty tackle in the French Cup final against Saint-Etienne on July 24; Tuchel previously said it would take a “miracle” for the young forward to be fit in time for Wednesday’s contest.
PSG are also missing midfielder Marco Verratti, who’s dealing with a calf injury.
“We must wait and be patient with Marco,” Tuchel said earlier this week.
“Last week he couldn’t run. He has just started again but it is going to be very tight for the semifinals. But we will try everything like we have done with Kylian.”
Atalanta, meanwhile, are without Josip Ilicic, who is home in Slovenia tending to a personal matter.