Tuesday evening, the whole of Europe witnessed a new show of force from Paris Saint-Germain. On the BayArena pitch, the reigning champion brought all his collective power and clinical realism to bear to inflict a real ordeal on Bayer Leverkusen. However, the draw was not a walk. After outclassing Atalanta (4-0) then dominating Barcelona (1-2) despite numerous absences, Luis Enrique's Parisians this time faced an opponent renowned for his tactical rigor and discipline. But from the first minutes, the tone was set. With high pressing, total control of the ball and quick combinations on the wings, PSG immediately took the upper hand. The early goal from Willian Pacho (7th), symbol of a well-oiled team, plunged the Germans into doubt. And while Mark Flekken came close to disaster against Bradley Barcola, Paris accentuated its territorial domination. Even the penalty conceded in the 23rd minute – missed by Grimaldo – did not seem to disturb the serenity of a team sure of its strength and perfectly orchestrated.
The rest of the meeting turned into a demonstration, as the difference in level was so obvious. After a first period punctuated by twists and turns with a double expulsion and a penalty transformed by Aleix Garcia, PSG regained its full offensive expression. Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia exploded the opposing lines with their mobility and creativity, while Senny Mayulu impressed with his accuracy. The three goals scored between the 41st and 45th minutes completely stunned Bayer, unable to resist the Parisian steamroller. Returning from the locker room, the Ile-de-France residents continued at the same tempo: Vitinha, Nuno Mendes and Ousmane Dembélé, who entered to complete the collective masterpiece, added their stone to the building for a monumental victory (7-2). This success, the largest ever recorded by a French club away from home in the Champions League, illustrates the technical, tactical and mental superiority of a PSG which hovers over Europe.
Hjulmand is ashamed
Faced with this shipwreck, Bayer Leverkusen emerged traumatized. Kasper Hjulmand's team, which nevertheless remained on a good dynamic in the Bundesliga, seemed totally overwhelmed by the Parisian intensity. The Werkself players never managed to contain the play between the lines nor to block the rapid transitions initiated by Zaire-Emery or Vitinha: “We must apologize to the supporters. They were incredible today, and we need them again on Sunday against Freiburg to progress. We feel great pain. We are hurt. But we have to recover and look to the future. We were too open and we thought too much about the future, without balance. I would have liked to go into the locker room with the score 1-1 and then make changes. But seven minutes before half-time, with a new structure, we lost the match. At 1-4, it was over“, lamented the Danish coach. The numbers speak for themselves as Bayer became the first German team in history to concede seven goals at home in the European Cup, Leverkusen also saw its reputation as a defensive fortress crumble. In the aisles of the stadium, astonishment dominated with the closed faces of the supporters reflecting the slap suffered by an entire club, one which hoped to compete with the European leaders.
At a press conference, Kasper Hjulmand continued to try to explain the collective shipwreck of his players and the absolute domination of Paris Saint-Germain. : “I felt their support. They helped us and I am grateful to them. I have deep respect for the way they treated the team. I really hope, and I am convinced, that we will have to return the favor to the fans on Sunday. We have something to prove. We will fight. This obviously puts more pressure on us for the next matches. We are going to Lisbon to win“. His words bore witness to a lucid observation: this match will remain as a resounding humiliation in the history of the German club, but also as a lesson to be learned. The Danish technician recognized the superiority of the reigning champion, emphasizing the speed of execution, technical precision and defensive rigor of a PSG which never took its foot off the gas, even at 5-2. For Leverkusen, this nightmarish evening should serve as a trigger, both mentally and tactically
