It was the match in the match. On the occasion of this PSG-Manchester City, the two Spanish coaches Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola clashed. Two coaches whose style is similar, whose character is also similar or almost. And whose choices are often talking about. As obvious, the two men have not changed their style this Wednesday evening. This started with the composition of the two teams. Luis Enrique surprised his world by aligning Kang-in Lee rather than Dembélé, on the bench. For his part, Pep Guardiola decided to do without Gündogan in the heart of the game to rather place Bernardo Silva alongside Kovacic and thus allow Savinho to start on the left corridor while Matheus Nunes was … right side.
Strong tactical choices!
Surprising choices that have clearly did not bear fruit since at half-time, the two teams stood with a very little excavation draw. So as a symbol, the two coaches tried to surprise themselves by making changes from the break. Rico Lewis and Jack Grealish entered City side while Dembélé replaced Kang-in Lee for Paris. Meanwhile, Luis Enrique and Pep Guardiola had also adapted the same strategy on their sidelines, nervousness. The two men raised his hands in heaven an incalculable number of times on this match. They did not try to hide their dissatisfaction and openly moaned with each bad pass or bad choice.
And in this match in the match, we thought that Pep Guardiola had put Ko his compatriot since Grenalish, entering, marked only 5 minutes after his entry into play. Then, this same Grenalish was decisive on the goal of the break signed Haaland. But PSG has not abandoned, far from it and Ousmane Dembélé, also entering, reduced the gap before Barcola egalizes in the process. A choice of Luis Enrique rewarded even if we note his desire to maintain the double change Ramos – Warren Zaire -Emery which has broken the Parisian dynamics a little.
Luis Enrique had targeted the midfielder
But after that, PSG ended up exploding an outdated city team that suffered the Paris law. “My team has a lot for her. She has faith and she never surrenders, we have shown it many times. This match will strengthen my players. They don't have much experience in these kinds of matches, but they have shown that they are able to be competitive. After the first half, with such a high rhythm, I thought we were going to keep this rhythm, and the words were to dare a little more. I wanted my players to let go. And we conceded these 2 goals. But the team continued to believe it, to have faith, to insist. The first goal with this Barcola action was key, it opened a new scenario. From there, we were much superior to City »analyzed Luis Enrique at a press conference.
For his part, Pep Guardiola, who could only bow in the face of Parisian superiority, targeted what made the difference in this match. “I repeat it: they were better. I told players in the locker room. You have to move on. To defend, you have to play and we didn't do it. I give a lot of credit to PSG, because he prevented us from doing so. We failed to keep the ball and to defend, you have to have the ball. They were one more than us in the middle. They were more aggressive, with better pressing. They are faster, so we had to defend by having the ball and it is impossible if you do not play like that … They had more players in the midfield and that's often where you win matches. We failed to manage this. With their false 9, they managed to have an additional player in this position (…). They have won today, but they have already played matches like that. I have already seen it. We couldn't be better today. I would like to say the opposite, but that's how it is. “ Pep Guardiola has never been able to correct the problem of superiority in the middle despite his change at the end of the match with the entries of Stones and Gundogan.
This was also felt in the possession of the ball since at the final whistle, City had only 36.9% possession. The weakest total for a Guardiola team since… City-Barcelona in 2017. At that time, Luis Enrique was the coach of Barça. Friends in life, the two coaches therefore fought a beautiful battle which turned to the advantage of PSG. “I had a hard time celebrating the goals because I had a friend who was suffering. Football gives you joy and sadness, it's like life. You have to have it “entrusted Luis Enrique at the microphone of Movistar After the meeting. The class that illustrates the relationship between the two men. But this time, Luis Enrique is smiling. To the delight of Parisian supporters.
