PARIS – Leonardo's assertion that Paris St Germain is made for the Champions League but not for low-key Ligue 1 matches could backfire Wednesday if it does not show a dramatic improvement against Valencia in a last 16 second leg. Sports Director Leonardo explained PSG's embarrassing 1-0 league defeat at battling 10-man Stade Reims Saturday by saying: “Maybe we have a team made for Europe, based on talent and passing quality, not for that kind of game.” PSG indeed looked a different side from the one which beat Valencia 2-1 away in the first leg and its chances of success in Wednesday's home game have been hurt by suspensions to striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and midfielder Marco Verratti. The Ligue l leader's defeat by Reims was the second in a row against a lowly team after it was humbled 3-2 by Sochaux before back-to-back wins against arch-rival Olympique Marseille in the league and French Cup. PSG coach Carlo Ancelotti blamed a bad pitch at Reims for the loss but there will be no excuses Wednesday on its Parc des Princes turf, where 37-year-old David Beckham could make his first Champions League appearance since 2010 with AC Milan. The former England captain, who signed a short-term deal with PSG in January, could start the match unless Ancelotti decides to field Clement Chantome or Thiago Motta returns from injury. The Italian coach is likely to change his center back pairing with captain Thiago Silva in the running to feature for the first time in more than seven weeks after recovering from a thigh problem. The Brazilian's return would be a boost to PSG, which could have all but sealed its last-eight qualification in Valencia if it had made more of its domination before allowing the Spaniards to pull a goal back late on. Valencia is missing usual center backs Adil Rami and Ricardo Costa. France international Rami, who netted its 90th-minute goal in the first leg, is still recovering from a muscle strain in his left thigh while the Portuguese defender, who has suffered a minor muscle problem, has been left out of the squad. “We know how Paris play. I watched their last two games and they often rely on the counter-attack, allowing the other team to have the ball and breaking very well,” Valencia full back Jeremy Mathieu said. “Valencia's tactics are to pressure as much as possible and spend as much time in the opponent's half as we can,” added the Frenchman, who returned from a lengthy injury break at the weekend and could play alongside Victor Ruiz at center half. Valencia drew 2-2 at home to city rival Levante Saturday, conceding late to miss out on a victory that would have lifted it above Malaga into fourth in La Liga. Paraguay forward Nelson Valdez reckons the European Cup is a good benchmark for Valencia. Juventus almost there In Italy, holding a 3-0 lead from the away leg, it seems only a total collapse by Juventus against Celtic can prevent the Italian team from booking a place in the Champions League quarterfinals. Juventus is expected to finish off the job at home in the return leg of its last-16 matchup also Wednesday, and the players have been urging against complacency. Giorgio Chiellini said: “There's still a lot to do, we mustn't fool ourselves that qualification is already in our pockets.” Three players with yellow cards will likely sit out: midfielders Stephan Lichtsteiner, Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio. The replacements will likely be Mauricio Isla, Paul Pogba and Emanuele Giaccherini. Striker Nicolas Anelka could also see some action. — Agencies
