Nagelsmann outsmarted Galtier on his own pitch.
He hasn’t walked away from Ligue 1
How many times has this been said PSG he feels too comfortable in the French championship and wanted to spit on him, only tuning in to the Champions League. But it is impossible to play a dozen games with minimal tone, and then tune in to a masterpiece and distribute it as if it were order. PSG it took some time to get back on track and realize that it was time for the Champions League and the big knockout games.
AND PSG as if he was angry with himself and was preparing more diligently than usual for the match with Bayern. We managed to lose in our last two meetings in France, which hasn’t happened to the Parisians for a long time. And very “unpleasant” opponents. Firstly, Marseille was eliminated PSG from the French Cup, issuing a match of life, and then Monaco slammed the guests of the capital.
And those two defeats didn’t alarm the fans. Of course, they didn’t scare the team, which considered itself born for the Champions League anyway. But now is the time Champions Leagueit’s here PSG play as if Reims or Toulouse were against him. At least in the first half. The Parisians in their field indicate a minimum of struggle for the ball, a minimum of pressure. Some midfielders and defenders tried to put more or less pressure on, 16-year-old Zaire Emery himself, whose appearance in the starting line-up, Christophe Galtier, apparently set out to shock Bayern, but only knocked out the confidence of the boy who is became the youngest player in Champions League play-off history.
Messi and Neymar have politely avoided the same pressure. It can be compared with the episodes when in the same half Chupo-Moting and Sane plowed hard and main from a Bavarian free-kick in the selection. Lionel, on the other hand, often came down closer to Verratti to try and play the ball with him from deep inside. Neymar was looking for space in the same depth. And Soler, in principle, is not inclined to play in someone else’s penalty area. And it turned out that in the first half, Sommer’s possessions simply had no one to create tension. Messi couldn’t get past the crowd of tough Bavarians and Neymar was blocked from any space. But the Bayern press worked clearly and confidently.
The first half ended with a dissatisfied buzz from the Parc des Princes, with 56% ball control from the Munich side and a 10-1 scoreline for Bayern. True, only two attempts were made on target. But the overall benefit was not in doubt. Play League 1 mode PSG could not pass. On the other hand, even Bayern didn’t get too close to the goal, having the advantage. Although some areas have been shaken extremely diligently. The coaches decided to change the scheme already during the break.
Efficient permutation
Galtier replaced Hakimi at Kimpemba at half-time PSG added to the reliability and density of his penalty area. Ashraf, of course, can be useful in attack, but the first half showed that the Bavarians pressed him so hard that there was no benefit from this potential aggression from Hakimi. And in defense there may be problems. The decision, however, can also be considered controversial, because the Parisians should have counted on victory, and not on maintaining a goalless draw. Apparently, Galtier continued to believe in the creativity of Messi and Verratti with the personality of Neymar.
In parallel, Nagelsmann made a more curious decision, aimed precisely at loosening the ranks of the Parisians. He released Davis instead of Canselu, which didn’t seem very logical. At least for a half time replacement. However Joao stood out, often moved to the center, he acted actively in attack in the first half, introducing confusion in the defensive ranks of the Parisians.
With this substitution, Coman switched from left flank to right flank to attack, and Davis routinely covered the left curb with himself. And now the shattered and tortured flank of the active but unreliable Nuno Mendes was under new pressure. A full-back somewhat adapted to Cancelo’s actions PSG he didn’t immediately adjust to the new threat, which came from Coman. It was this permutation that became the key to the fate of the match. In the fresh 53rd minute Davis served from the left wing, the central defenders PSG dismantled two rivals who entered the penalty area, but the “extra” Coman turned out to be free and committed another “murder” of his former club.
lame hero
Galtier predictably enlisted the help of the lead lifeguard PSG – Mbappe. Kilian barely recovered from his injury, so he didn’t appear in the starting lineup. But the arrival of him as a substitute significantly changed the nature of the game. He moved to the Bayern penalty area. And already Neymar began to have space, already Messi had to be lowered less often to a depth from which he could not threaten. Therefore, in general, the heat level at the Sommer gate has increased. And with due luck PSG might as well save this game.
Mbappé, in fact, made two conspicuous accelerations in the allotted half hour. In the first case, Sommer made the save and had to finish off Neymar Pavard. In the second, the goal happened, but Mendes’ kneecap was closer to Bayern’s goal than any of his defenders during the acceleration of the attack. Such episodes are sometimes annoying, because earlier in such situations the referee would have counted the goal without hesitation, preferring the attacking team in a dubious situation. But now there’s a soulless machine that draws lines and nearly counts the hairs on players’ knees. On the other hand, the harsh rules are the same for everyone.
The game ended in nine strikes PSG and 18 attempts from Bayern, who had more than 53% ball possession and 90% passing accuracy. The Munich team was better than their opponent in everything and looked like clear favourites. The Parisians had nothing interesting to offer. The stars failed again. Hope PSG again – about Mbappé and his health. But such a formulation of hope looks too pathetic for a team that seriously claims to win the Champions League and spends fabulous money on buying stars.
