The match: 4-1
The majority of observers presented this meeting in Newcastle as a first real test for Luis Enrique’s PSG. They were not mistaken. Verdict: a failure. The capital club literally took on water on the banks of the Tyne, overwhelmed on all levels by a superior opponent who all but stole their big victory in the rain at St James’ Park (4-1).
The illusion did not last. In the absence of the four established attackers (see below), it is mainly the four Parisian defenders that we saw at work. And backwards. After a rather positive start marked by a narrowly missed volley by Ousmane Dembélé (5th), which would undoubtedly have changed the course of the game, Paris began to suffer incessant waves.
Achraf Hakimi offered a first hot ball to Miguel Almiron (14th), without consequence. But, three minutes later, on a big restart error from Marquinhos, full axis, Almiron did not miss the second opportunity to open the scoring (17th).
The Parisians didn’t really react, the Magpies continued to push hard and ended up doubling the lead, thanks to a header from Dan Burn (42nd). All at the end of a new defensive mess, with a mistake from Lucas Hernandez that was largely avoidable at the start and Milan Skriniar completely obliterated in the duel.
We thought the open house operation was at its peak, but no. Just after the break, Sean Longstaff, alone in the open area, came to plant a third (50th), leaving Gianluigi Donnarumma speechless. What can we say about his coach, Luis Enrique, apostle of the beautiful game and witness to a distressing spectacle from his players, authors of no shots on target at half-time and sometimes incapable of stringing together two passes?
There was a renewed hope when Hernandez reduced the gap with a header (56th), on a perfect serve from Warren Zaire-Emery, but the euphoria remained limited. Opposite, the “Toon Army” was always up to the occasion, even during its weak moments in the second half, celebrating the slightest ball scratched like a goal with its audience. Aggressive and coordinated pressing, judicious projections, generous efforts, solidarity, mischief and success, as on the fourth distant goal of Fabian Schär while sliding (90th + 1)… In short, everything that missed by PSG.
The fact: an out-of-tune quartet
For the first time this season, Luis Enrique opted for a Dembélé-Ramos-Mbappé-Kolo Muani quartet from the start. We had already seen a very offensive formula against OM and Clermont, with Bradley Barcola at the kick-off, but this innovation did not really pay off. PSG was organized around a 4-2-4, with Dembélé on the right, Kolo Muani on the left and a Ramos-Mbappé doublet at the forefront.
An imbalance which was quickly felt in opposing transitions. In the midfield, Manuel Ugarte and Zaire-Emery very often found themselves drowned, inferior, exposing a little more a Parisian rearguard which did not need that. Despite everything, Luis Enrique decided not to change anything at half-time, before replacing Kolo Muani with Barcola (57th). Without succeeding in reversing the trend.
