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7 months ago
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He integrated. He imposed himself. Bradley Barcola must now confirm. Arriving from Olympique Lyonnais last August for 45 million euros, the young 21-year-old French winger quickly digested the discontent of Lyon supporters, still nostalgic for his arabesques, to impose his style in the French capital. However, everything was not simple. Propelled into a collective filled with stars, the international Espoir tricolor took time to convince the most skeptical. Faced with fierce competition from the Parisian offensive sector (Gonçalo Ramos, Randal Kolo Muani, Marco Asensio, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, etc.), the 1m82 right-hander – silent at the start and criticized for his lack of realism – appears today today, as an essential pillar of the Ile-de-France attack.
Beginnings discussed in the French capital…
“The person responsible is not him (Bradley Barcola, editor’s note), it is Luis Enrique because he thinks that he is a player who is capable of playing in the Champions League when it was enough to open the eyes in the championship to see that it is a little lamb. We’re talking about the Champions League, not a championship match against Clermont. In the Champions League, he cannot behave like he did! He is at Youth League level! He manages to create chances, he is all alone in front of the goal, but he is not likely to score”, railed, in this respect, Daniel Riolo, consultant for RMC, after the questionable entry into play of the Lyonnais against Newcastle (1-1) on November 28. Acerbic, the Franco-Italian journalist, visibly unconvinced by Barcola’s first weeks in the City of Lights, did not hesitate to bring it up again a few hours later.
“This story of youth, I do not accept the argument. For me, this is not possible. He’s a nice Bambi (Barcola, editor’s note), but he’s been in Lyon for six months, he’s leaving because the club says ‘there’s a lot to be done’ and he’s going to PSG. From the moment he goes to PSG, he takes everything. He takes the transfer with everyone around him who has been complaining all day about my comments yesterday. They all gorged themselves on commission and gifts. It’s fine for them to take the glory and the glory when things go in that direction, but they don’t want the criticism that goes with it. From the moment you enter the club, you accept everything that comes with it.. Murderous declarations that have become obsolete given the incredible takeover of the 1m82 right-hander in Luis Enrique’s collective. Freed by his first goal scored against FC Nantes on December 9, Bradley Barcola has since had a string of starts and convincing performances.
A potential holder!
Alongside Kylian Mbappé, aligned at the forefront, and Ousmane Dembélé, striking in his right lane, the former Rhone prodigy thus proves, weekend after weekend, all his qualities. Involved defensively, valuable offensively, PSG number 29 brings all his speed and vision. With above-average technical qualities and a great bond with his partners, the one whose contract runs until June 2028 also allows his coach to maintain a certain balance on a collective level. An obviously welcome added value for the former coach of La Roja, seduced by the noted and remarkable rise of his protégé. “When you recruit a young player, you recruit him for his qualities and his performances. The unknown is always knowing how much time he will need to adapt to a bigger club. It’s always like that with a young player, but also a veteran player. Some arrive at a big club and fail to adapt, they never play. For Bradley, we are very happy”, admitted, in this regard, the Parisian coach before receiving LOSC. Eternally dissatisfied and determined to draw out the full potential of his player, the former Barça technician recognized, despite everything, that the Frenchman could still aim higher.
“He still needs to improve both in defense and attack”. An observation also shared by the person concerned, now at the head of 2 goals and 4 assists in 24 matches in all competitions. “I think I can improve on turnovers and reading the game”, noted the Franco-Togolese in particular after another remarkable performance against RC Lens. Relaunched in his first months in Paris, the second most decisive player in L1 (19 times, with 7 goals and 12 assists), since last season, after Elye Wahi (27) among the talents born from 2002 justified, moreover, this undeniable rise in power. “I have more and more trust from everyone, from the coach and teammates. This confidence from the coach frees me, that of my teammates too, I can only play well like that, the coach is close to us, to me, I arrived (at PSG, editor’s note) late so I had things to do. catch up and little by little I catch up with them. Today, I am also more and more comfortable with Kylian, the more I play, the better I feel. He knows what I want, and I’m starting to know what he wants too.”.
The Champions League as a justice of the peace
A valuable performance confirmed, once again, during the reception of LOSC, Saturday evening, on the occasion of the 21st day of Ligue 1. Left on the bench at the start of the match – a sign of Luis Enrique’s desire to preserve before Real Sociedad – Barcola largely contributed to the victory (3-1) of his team when he came into play in place of Ousmane Dembélé (62nd). Quickly served, the new PSG prodigy wasted no time in highlighting himself on the attacking front. Despite an imprecise first strike (66th), he then proved all the qualities listed above. Lively, fast, technical, the former Lyonnais regularly undermined the young Tiago Santos, unable to stop the intentions of the Ile-de-France number 29. Impactful, Barcola then multiplied the devastating excesses in his corridor (73rd, 76th) before being logically rewarded ten minutes from time.
With disconcerting ease, the young Parisian winger played Ismaily before serving Kolo Muani, scorer of the third Parisian goal (80th). Unstoppable, the Ile-de-France striker was even close to hitting the nail on the head but his mid-range shot was finally repelled by Lucas Chevalier, vigilant and very valuable despite his team’s defeat (85th). To end his recital, the neo-Parisian offered himself another solitary rush in added time but the Lille goalkeeper was still decisive (90+3rd). Whatever. In a few moments spent on the lawn of the Parc des Princes, the native of Lyon – applying more than ever for a starting place for the round of 16 first leg against Real Sociedad – will have, once again, lit up the Parisian enclosure of his talent. It now remains to confirm this breathtaking dynamic on the European scene and in a very important meeting. One thing is certain, Bradley Barcola never ceases to impress.
