PSG-Borussia Dortmund (0-1) – Scattered Considerations

Hummels brings Borussia Dortmund back to play in the Champions League final at Wembley, 4 woodblocks for PSG.

5.36 xG, six posts in 180 minutes and no goals scored. To try to understand the semi-final between PSG and Borussia Dortmund we must inevitably start from here, from finding an explanation as to why the Parisians failed to score a single goal. Bad luck? Own inabilities? Adverse fate? Overthinking by Luis Enrique? These things all together? Maybe none of these. Before going into the merits of PSG’s errors and problems, it is necessary to pay homage to those who deservedly won this double match.

BVB, strong from the advantage from the first leg, faced the challenge with that mental lightness which was the basis for an exemplary performance. Especially in the first hour of the game. Ryerson and Maatsen perfect at not giving space to their opponents and containing internal gusts, Hummels and Schlotterbeck omnipresent in closing, Sabitzer with his helmet lowered in front of the defence, Emre Can giving orders every time he needed it, Brandt as an all-round raider and finisher , Füllkrug fighting for every ball. A compact team that always knew what to do: they faced PSG’s thousand movements and possessions without panicking and were always precise on the restart like in the 35th minute, when Donnarumma’s best was needed to deny Adeyemi the goal. And then the application, tactical and mental. Even before the goal, he won the match here: going to the ball with incredible determination and awareness of his choices.

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On the other hand, PSG, even when they built the best actions, didn’t really seem to be in the match. Much can be said about the post hit by Zaire-Emery at the start of the second half, the definitive sliding doors of the semi-final, but first there are many other things to be put under the magnifying glass. For example, the unfortunate decision to focus on Beraldo, who was decisive in the negative on the occasion of Hummels’ goal, or the inability to open up the field and space for Mbappé, too far away on the left and without the necessary contributions from his teammates. It took the entire first half to see Nuno Mendes more involved in the attacking action. Worse on the right than going at night: Hakimi lots of empty running and low-quality balls, Dembelé devoted to the wrong choice every time he touched the ball and definitely the worst on the pitch. Finally there is Gonçalo Ramos, capable of wasting at least three golden opportunities.

The goal conceded calls the siege of PSG which arises from the choices of Terzic who faces the last half hour with an overly conservative attitude: Reus’s entrance, however romantic, does not prove useful because it is too staid and Süle’s entry for Sancho was the manifesto of all-out defense. Luis Enrique responds by fielding all the strikers he can, to pour into 9/11 close to Kobel’s goal. Yet confusion and chaos dominated the maneuver: quality possession, effective space occupation and that pinch of malice were missing. There were many mistakes, just as many posts and they cannot represent an alibi. Here lies PSG’s great defeat: sufficiency, the idea that that minimum would have been enough due to technical superiority to make it.

A Champions League semi-final is not a Ligue1 match against Nantes and Metz, with all due respect. You need something more so that you don’t just create luck through gambling but also by throwing your heart over the obstacle. The usual Marquinhos, leader all the way, and Vitinha, author of a great match in terms of quantity and quality, are the only ones who went beyond their homework. It is no coincidence that they were responsible for the “hottest” chances of the second half, those that restored PSG’s desire to win. Luis Enrique has little to blame for this, he has already done a lot by giving organization and qualitative outlets to a team that is finally competitive to win. With the conditions to be so even without Mbappé. As long as you find warm blood to use in matches like PSG-Borussia, in moments like these, to bring your heart to touch the big-eared cup.

2024-05-07 22:13:54
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