C1 / Before Maccabi Haifa – PSG: Danilo Pereira (Paris Saint-Germain), the candidate for the “Loft” who has become a leading role

Paris doesn’t seem to want him anymore. In his summer revolution, the capital club initially put him on the list of players he wanted to part with. At 31, Danilo appeared doomed to the “loft” of Paris Saint-Germain, this waiting room for unwanted items the club intended to move. Christoph Galtier decided otherwise. At the end of July, the Parisian coach expressed his desire to keep the 31-year-old. Not necessarily because the Portuguese were part of the new long-term project. Mainly because it can be a great service in the short term.

A well-thought-out choice by Galtier

The Parisian coach had a hollow nose. In the final month of the transfer window, he saw his defensive sector emptied with the departures of Thilo Kerrer at West Ham and Abdou Diallo at Leipzig. And above all, do not save any reinforcements. The failure in the Milan Skriniar affair left him with Marquinhos, Sergio Ramos, Presnel Kimpembe and Shadile Pichiapo as the only professional defenders to start the season. A scenario far from ideal, even frankly unsettling from an evolution perspective with a three-pronged system.

Keeping Danilo was a crucial decision in this context. The Portuguese was not recruited to play in central defense in 2020. Even if he was in that position, Thomas Tuchel, the Parisian coach at the time, would have included him regularly. Not really because he saw the former FC Porto player as a great defender. More because the German technician lacks solutions in the midfield and appreciates the qualities of Marquinhos in the midfield. But his choice already said a lot about Danilo’s versatility and ability to evolve in both sectors.

empire on earth

This is one of Danilo’s strengths and a major reason why Galtier keeps it. The Parisian coach used the Portuguese in the middle of the match, against Juventus (2-1) or Monaco (1-1). But he sees this above all as a solution to rotating his workforce in an empty defence. Thus, the Portuguese started the last three league matches, first in place of Kimpembe in Toulouse (0-3), then Sergio Ramos in Nantes (0-3) and finally Marquinhos against Brest (1-0). Three out of four L1 matches in which Paris have kept clean sheets this season.

And Danilo really is not there for nothing. He has certainly benefited from favorable conditions compared to the ups and downs of the transfer window. But he was above all Imperial on Earth, in all positions of the defensive trio. Especially in the axis, where it was aligned with Brest. The Portuguese shined with placement knowledge and a sense of anticipation. But also in the air, an area where PSG showed some limitations this summer. The Portuguese has won 80% of his aerial duels since the start of the season (8/10). He is the dominant player in this category in the Paris squad.

Many things depend on it

In a club where stars like Leo Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe are obsessed with vampires, much will ultimately depend on Danilo. His ability to display the same level of performance as in recent weeks will be crucial to PSG’s results. But also to allow Galtier to maintain that system with the three central defenders he has put in place this season despite the titleholder’s absence. The Portuguese was a candidate for the “Loft” just two months ago. He is now destined to play leading roles.