Rarely mishandled in Ligue 1, even less often opposed to Champions League level teams, PSG nevertheless came close to being penalized this Wednesday in Monaco before emerging as the big winner of the game. A look back at this match which wonderfully concludes the first part of the Ligue 1 season for Luis Enrique’s players and makes it a meeting which inevitably counts.
Because Paris experienced everything in one match
It is rare for PSG to experience Ligue 1 matches as rich in emotions as the one in Monaco this Wednesday evening. However, for a young team like Luis Enrique’s, any experience is good to take and that in the Principality contains many elements which should allow the team to grow faster than expected.
While he is regularly accused by his opponents of benefiting from favorable refereeing in Ligue 1, it was quite the opposite and the Parisian players were able to remain focused from the start to the end of the game, like their coach with Olympian calm on the sidelines despite the mind-blowing errors of François Letexier. Not the slightest card for protest, and constant attention to the details of the match.
Another episode that PSG players went through, the injury to Gianluigi Donnarumma and his exit with a lacerated face. Despite the violence of the shock and the associated trauma, absolutely all the players remained focused on the match and Paris also opened the scoring just after the departure of the starting goalkeeper.
Because PSG was able to turn the situation around
The most important turning point in this Monaco/PSG probably came during the first quarter of an hour of the second half. While it had largely dominated the first act, PSG found itself trailing in barely a quarter of an hour and in a very bad situation since on the outside, facing what was at that moment the best defense of L1 and on the pitch of a team whose transition game is one of the strengths.
But while Paris had only known how to come back to the score in Reims (1-1) and Nice (1-1) when it had been led in Ligue 1 this season, this time it was able to completely turn the match around and score no less than three goals in the last half hour of a match in which he was trailing. In terms of confidence, it’s difficult to imagine a better scenario for young Parisians.
Because PSG knew how to play, well, in two different ways
The two halves of this Monaco/PSG were very different, with a real collective demonstration in the first act, only the goals missing on the Parisian side with the exception of that of Désiré Doué, then a more contested second half, more hooked and with several highlights from Monaco which frankly made the Parisian rearguard waver.
However, PSG has always remained faithful to its philosophy, that of playing with the ball rather than countering or suffering. In the first period, supported by its tactical advantage in the middle, PSG remarkably moved the ball up the field but did not hesitate to play relatively quickly, at least on its scale, and Monaco had to run behind the Parisians on the the entire field.
In the second half, and particularly when it was behind, PSG did not quite play the same way. Leading the score, the Monegasques were able to position themselves lower on the pitch and counter. In the wake of a royal Vitinha in the role of retreating leader, PSG then showed immense patience, developing its attacks with meticulousness using width and depth, but also less obvious assets such as the strike of away or set pieces.
Two of the three goals in the last half hour came from actions of this kind while the last one was even a Parisian rarity, namely a counter with a long ball forward. A very different way of scoring from the first goal which was a perfect summary of the Parisian approach in the first period.
Because the axis of attack is alive
Since the departure of Kylian Mbappé, the question of the PSG central striker is one of the most recurring within the squad and it is this position which has probably welcomed the most different players since the start of the season , namely no less than five that it is possible to divide into two categories: the false points (Asensio, Lee, Doué), and the real center forwards (Kolo Muani and Ramos). This Wednesday evening, the two profiles took turns at the forefront of the Parisian attack.
For a good hour, it was the version with Désiré Doué in false point which was favored by Luis Enrique and it is an understatement to say that the young Parisian offensive talent proved his coach right. A scorer in pure number 9 style, Doué also caused a lot of torment in Monaco with his breakdowns in the heart of the game.
At the end of the match, and after an axial interlude from Dembélé which lasted a few minutes, it was Gonçalo Ramos who took over the role, and the Portuguese once again showed to what extent he is a formidable surface player with this goal of the 3-2 had barely come into play. Overall, the axis of the Parisian attack therefore lived two lives during the same match, and with great success in both cases.
Because the bench was able to be an asset
The PSG squad has several holes, particularly on the attacking side where some players don’t really have any competitors, but Luis Enrique was still able to count on his bench this Wednesday. The third goal was even scored by two substitutes, the passer Lee and the scorer Ramos having entered during the game.
Ideally, and as Luis Enrique already said at a press conference, he would need two starters per position but he will probably be content to see that four of the five offensive players he played this Wednesday were able to be decisive.
Because the versatility of the players made sense
To play in the Spanish coach’s Paris Saint-Germain, it is better to be able to occupy several positions, especially because changes are frequent during the match. Of the ten field players at kick-off, no less than four changed position during the match! Ousmane Dembélé even occupied three different positions in 90 minutes, switching from the right side to the left side as the game progressed with great success since it was on the side opposite to the one on which he started that he concluded the match with a perfect left shot.
But the versatility of the players also allowed the Parisian coach to quickly correct problems observed during the game. While Neves began to have serious defensive difficulties on his left lane, his reversal with Zaire-Emery immediately paid off: barely a minute after his repositioning in the middle axis, the Portuguese sent Hakimi deep on the opening of the score.
