the subtlety of Zaire-Emery, the Parisian failures, the caricature of Luis Enrique… Favorites and scratches

FAVORITE

Zaire-Emery, model of calm and finesse

And yet, everything started well. The Parisians had a very high-level first quarter of an hour. Domination rewarded by this goal full of finesse, touch, calm, from Warren Zaire-Emery. After an interception by Ousmane Dembélé at the feet of the reckless Clément Lenglet, the 18-year-old kept a cool head by appearing in front of Jan Oblak, waiting until the last moment to make a delicious little dive. “It's a great goal, a great collective recovery from pressing, I'm very happy with this goal but also disappointed and frustrated for the team, for everyone», he whispered, he who did not have the heart to celebrate this achievement. And for good reason, it did not allow PSG to avoid another disappointment against Atlético Madrid (1-2)…

Not beautiful Atlético, but devilishly effective

At times during the match, we watched Antoine Griezmann wandering around his half, defending and chasing the ball, before wondering what pleasure he had in such a team. And finally, we know it. On crumbs, by Nahuel Molina and Angel Correa, the Colchoneros silenced the public at the Parc des Princes. As for the show, you might as well watch another match or go to the cinema, but in terms of results, the idea is there. You had to see Madrid's parking lot in heaven after such a scenario. Not pretty but effective. Eight balls hit in the opposing area, three shots on target, two goals. Pure Diego Simeone. The years pass but the project does not change. Note that it was “Grizou”, transparent throughout the match, who provided the decisive pass in the 93rd minute.

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CLAW STRIKES

Luis Enrique, the caricature

It's all well and good to move forward like a dogmatist and not consider playing with a real number 9. It still has to bear fruit for Luis Enrique. After four days of the Champions League, his PSG is 25th in the standings – between PSV and Sparta Prague -, a place synonymous with elimination in the first round. Unworthy of a semi-finalist club in the last C1. His team is not progressing. Neither do his players. In addition to the disastrous accounting aspect (1 victory, 1 draw and 2 defeats), in the game, his training is too academic, too predictable and not capable enough of carrying the danger into the surface. No midfielder leaves his comfort zone, no one imposes himself as a false nine (see elsewhere) and if Bradley Barcola and Dembélé are not successful, nothing happens. The construction sites are huge. The urgent situation. If we listen to the Spanish coach, without Mbappé, his PSG would be better this season. Today, we are still waiting. “It's a shit day“, he railed. There, we agree.

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“It’s a shit day”: Luis Enrique angry after PSG defeat

Barcola, the glass ceiling

Top scorer in Ligue 1 (8 goals), the Parisian winger is not the same player in the Champions League. It's normal, everything is harder and more intense. His room for improvement is still enormous. Faced with Atlético's low block and two-man scoring in the first period, he showed all his limits in such a context. It was a little better in the second half, because he had more space, but he came up against Jan Oblak twice. Too tender, too readable, too limited. The suit is still a little too big for him. 14 C1 matches, one small goal. Glass ceiling.

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PSG's scores against Atlético: Asensio ghostly, Donnarumma feverish, Barcola not up to par

Michel Montana, come back

The speakers follow each other. And it's a little more oven each time. After Miguel Derennes and Hervé Koller, Paris has been testing the man named Jean-Luc Guizonne for two matches, against Lens and Atlético. And it is no more a success than with his predecessors… Nervous, the person concerned expressed his anxiety through the microphone. Cascading moments of unease. The good will is there. Not the tone, the naturalness, the accuracy. It is definitely not easy to take over from Michel Montana, speaker of the Parc des Princes from 1998 to the end of last season. To see if the Guizonne experience, passed through the Star Academy and companion of the new voice of PSG TV, Charlotte Namura-Guizonne, will be renewed or if another rookie will be sent to the front for the reception in Toulouse on November 22.

False 9, false good idea

More than ever, PSG would have needed a high-level center forward on Wednesday. Poor Marco Asensio did not exist. 30 small balls touched, not enough combinations, impact. And he didn't even get a shot on his one chance. We only remembered that he was on the field when Luis Enrique replaced him. Above all, there was space behind the Atlético full-backs and therefore the possibility of crossing. For no one. Sent to the fire at the end of the match, Randal Kolo Muani, who is not a real 9, could have been the hero of the day if Achraf Hakimi had known how to read his call-against-call in the final minutes. A move worthy of an attacker, a real one. Looking forward to the return of Gonçalo Ramos and/or the winter transfer window…

Holes behind too

Efficiency is the main weakness of this PSG, as we have said. Except that it's only the tree that hides the forest. Two goals conceded against Arsenal, one against PSV, two against Atlético. Certainly, the counter-pressing was still impressive on Wednesday. But on the Spanish goals, Parisian attitudes are open to criticism. Poor Nuno Mendes is involved in both, a bad dismissal on the first and far too loose marking on Griezmann. On this second goal, it comes from a corner… for PSG. Everyone on board. No one to defend. Vitinha exceeded. Gigio Donnarumma at fault. “In certain matches, we make mistakes but we are not penalized. Especially in Ligue 1. But there, there are great players up front. And if we make this kind of mistakes, we are penalized,” summarizes Marquinhos. We create a lot of chances, we have the movements, we control the match, we create a lot, we play in their camp… But it's in the last pass, the finish. And behind too,” he adds.