PSG crushed Leverkusen 7-2 on Tuesday night, and everyone is applauding. However, behind this impressive score lies a less rosy reality: for 45 minutes, the Parisian defense came close to collapse. Luis Enrique reaped the plaudits, but his team survived as much as they dominated.
Luis Enrique praised, but an error passed over in silence
Five goals in the first half, two red cards, two penalties conceded. This is not a tactical demonstration, it is a match which could have changed if Grimaldo had not missed his penalty. PSG was not in control, it was sailing by sight, taking advantage of counter-attacks.
Luis Enrique did not anticipate Leverkusen's direct play. Its high defensive line, supposed to suffocate the opponent, proved dangerously porous. Zabarnyi lived through a nightmare, but the responsibility lies with whoever designed the device. Two penalties conceded before the break, it's not bad luck, it's a structural flaw.
Leverkusen–PSG: the victory which hides a worrying alert
The myth of tactical superiority
PSG gave up 29% of possession and let Leverkusen create clear chances. The sides were overexposed, the middle not compact enough. Vitinha, technically excellent (98.4% accuracy), lost three dangerous balls in his half. Nuno Mendes even found himself playing central defender at times, a sign of worrying improvisation.
The truth is that Leverkusen collapsed on its own. Andrich stupidly sent off, Zabarnyi catastrophic, Grimaldo who misses his penalty.
“We lost everything in seven minutes”recognized Hjulmand. PSG did not suffocate their opponent tactically, they took advantage of a mental collapse.
In the second period, with a 4-1 on the board, PSG could have asphyxiated an already dead team. Result: two additional goals conceded. Chevalier only had one save to make in 90 minutes, not out of genius, but because Leverkusen ceased to exist.
The score impresses, but does not mask the problems. Faced with a team better organized than this routed Leverkusen, this defensive fragility will be costly. Luis Enrique won, yes. But the overall picture is much less rosy than it seems.
