Costly David Luiz could be fool’s gold for PSG: Champions League talking points

Thomas Woods examines the pressure facing David Luiz, Manchester City and potential Champions League dark horses Porto and Roma

Paris St Germain's David Luiz reacts during their French Ligue 1 match against St Etienne at the Parc des Princes Stadium in Paris on August 31, 2014. Benoit Tessier / Reuters

David Luiz will cost PSG

David Luiz is perhaps the most polarising player in world football. He is either a superstar defender with fine ball skills and lethal free kick, or he is an average defensive player who masks his weaknesses with his attacking talent – and big hair.

Paris Saint-Germain obviously believe the former as they paid £50 million (Dh297.2m) to extract him from Chelsea, not that the English side put up much resistance.

Based on a body of work, it is likely the Brazilian will at some point be at fault for a goal conceded by PSG this season and, if it happens in the latter stages, it could end his side’s hopes.

In the 7-1 World Cup semi-final debacle against Germany, Luiz was directly at fault for at least four, probably five of the seven goals Brazil conceded. It was one of the worst performances by an international defender in living memory.

He was caught out of position on various occasions for Chelsea and, while he may get away with some of those errors in the French Ligue 1, which is undeniably weaker than the English Premier League, Europe is less forgiving.

How far can City go?

This will be Manchester City’s fourth Uefa Champions League season, and the club should rightly expect to make a serious impact on the knockout stages.

The first two campaigns, 2011/12 and 2012/13, were hampered by Uefa’s flawed seeding system. Tough group draws saw City exit at the group stage.

Last season, they were unlucky to come up against Barcelona in the last 16 and then be controversially beaten in the deciding home leg of the tie.

But City have the experience and, more importantly, a settled squad. The spine of the team – Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, Yaya Toure and Sergio Aguero – have been playing together for several seasons in the Champions League. They should have the big-game know-how to take City at least to the quarter-finals.

Unlike their rivals, City have made few headline signings, but the addition of Eliaquim Mangala, the French defender from Porto, for £32m is a clever move that should help improve the weakest area of the team last season, centre-back.

There is a dark horse lurking

Like Atletico Madrid last season, the Champions League needs its fair share of upsets to keep the neutrals happy. Not everyone wants to see Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and some other club in the semi-finals each season.

Two sides in this half of the draw stand out – Porto and Roma. Hardly minnows, but neither side would be favoured to qualify from their group.

But they both have made the right mix of signings, Bruno Martins Indi and Cristian Tello for Porto, Ashley Cole and Juan Iturbe for Roma are just some examples, along with up-and-coming talent Mattia Destro for Roma and proven scorer Jackson Martinez for Porto.

Do not be surprised to see at least one of the two make at least the quarter-finals.

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