Kolkata: Paris St-Germain (PSG) are used to playing in Champions League semi-finals. This will be their fourth in sixth seasons. What looks different this time is their survival instinct honed like never before. Who knows, the 5-4 aggregate win against Aston Villa after Tuesday’s 2-3 defeat may even be a rite of passage in their quest for a first title.
PSG’s collapses are part of Champions League folklore. Barcelona needed three goals with 88 minutes on the clock and did it against them in 2016-17. Needing three goals, Real Madrid were 30 minutes from elimination in 2021-22 but it was PSG who went out. Before that there was Manchester United escaping to victory. Marquinhos knows all about it having been part of all three ties. “I am going to savour this one,” said the PSG skipper after the quarter-final.
So, what has changed? For one, devoid of attacking divas, Luis Enrique’s team presses more and presses better. For another, instead of collapsing under pressure, this team can hang on even after ceding control. Marquinhos said PSG’s intensity had dropped after going 2-0 ahead on the night. That led to goals from Youri Tielemans, one from a superb solo effort by John McGinn (57th), and Ezri Konsa converting Marcus Rashford’s assist in the 59th but PSG could see out the match.
“I saw a team that suffered together. That’s new,” said Enrique. “We stayed together in the face of adversity,” said Marquinhos.
Crucial to that was Gianluigi Donnarumma. The PSG goalie has had his share of errors in Champions League knockout ties. Think Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund last term, Real Madrid in 2021-22. At Villa Park, the big Italian was exceptional. He kept PSG ahead in the tie with exceptional saves from Rashford (57th minute) – cue, boisterous celebration from the goalie –and Tielemans (59th). He also denied Pau Torres in the 19th and Marco Asensio in a one-on-one situation in the 69th.
Having withstood the second-half barrage, PSG began exploiting space Villa had left in their quest for goals but Emiliano Martinez compensated for his part in conceding the first goal by denying Achraf Hakimi and Desire Doue. But Villa were not done and Ian Maatsen fired a late volley that was blocked by Willian Pacho. Early in the match, Joao Neves thwarted Amadou Onana and Fabian Ruiz stepped in to block Rashford.
Then, Villa were hit twice by counter-attacks as swift as they were slick. In four touches, PSG swept the ball up following a transition and it reached Hakimi via Nuno Mendes and Bardley Barcola. Martinez may have been slightly late in leaving his line and in the 11th minute PSG were 4-1 ahead in the tie. With another goal from a full back, Mendes made it 5-1 in the 27th minute. Tielemans roused the home crowd, Prince William among them, with a 34th minute goal that took a wicked deflection off Pacho but PSG managed to weather the storm on a rainy night in Birmingham.
Not just that, their midfield comprising Neves, Ruiz and Vitinha was superb in controlling spaces and dragging Villa out of shape in the first half. The midfielders’ confidence in staying deep to receive difficult passes and look for channels to free the wide players or full backs is crucial to PSG’s style under Enrique.
Their press, coordinated and full of energy, means they now win more balls in the front third. Villa’s pass accuracy was 76% and it continued the trend of PSG keeping that below 80% in their last six matches in all competition. Given Enrique’s Barcelona background, it fits his young team will have more of the ball and will be capable of producing an array of dazzling passes.
“I think I have the best squad in the world, not only the goalkeeper,” said Enrique. “And I have to say that (this) match, for us, allows us to grow up and compete even better.” “We are on our way to becoming a big team,” said Hakimi. PSG have won Ligue 1 with six rounds to spare and Villa were the second Premier League side they beat in the knockout round this time after Liverpool in the round of 16.
The importance of staying calm in key moments is crucial for Champions League success, Pep Guardiola has said. Sterner tests await but are PSG getting it finally?
