In praise of Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain's freelance inspiration

Among the praise showered on the astonishing first leg of Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich, it was pointed out that it is much easier to play with that sort of intensity in Europe when you can take it easy at home.These are teams who are so domestically dominant, in Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga, that they can arrange their whole seasons around Europe. Players can be rested, rotated, managed; long-term plans can be made. Your best talent can be kept fresh for the games that really matter.And there is no player who has benefitted more from this situation than Marquinhos.Advertisement