Since his arrival on the bench of Paris Saint-Germain, Luis Enrique has continued to hammer home the importance of the collective. For the Spanish technician, the substitutes have a role just as essential as the starters, and everyone must be able to make the difference at all times. A philosophy which has regularly borne fruit in recent seasons, with players coming off the bench capable of turning the tide of a match. And in a period where PSG must deal with the injuries of Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia in particular, this squad depth takes on even more importance. This Monday evening, against Olympique Lyonnais (2-0), Luis Enrique’s changes were once again decisive.
Having struggled for a long time against a compact Lyon block, the Parisians had to wait until the start of the game to find the solution. And all the players in the two goals came off the bench! To open the score, Lucas Hernandez, who entered a few minutes earlier, made a nice breakthrough before serving Mika Godts. The Belgian winger then found Senny Mayulu, who also came on during the match, who fired a sharp shot to deceive Dominik Greif. On the second goal, same scenario: Quentin Ndjantou, also launched during the game, sent a perfectly measured pass to Godts, who scored his first goal in Parisian colors. A demonstration of the impact of the substitutes, capable of unblocking a meeting which until then seemed to be going badly.
The decisive replacements
Asked about this success at a press conference, Luis Enrique did not hide his satisfaction, while emphasizing the importance of his entire group. “It’s a very important thing, they show their level. These three, but also Beraldo and Lucas Hernandez. Every time you get the opportunity to play, it’s important to show. They deserve to play more minutes, it’s difficult to play on this team”explained the Parisian coach. The Spaniard also took the opportunity to send a message to his Georgian winger, who recently had knee surgery after his serious injury. “I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that we would like to dedicate this victory to Kvara. » A way of reminding us that the Parisian collective remains united despite hard knocks.
Same speech from Senny Mayulu, author of the opener and particularly happy to have contributed to the victory. “It’s nice to score in this beautiful stadium, to help the team and take the lead. We’re all ready. The coach tells us to always be ready, no matter what. We don’t know who will start, but it doesn’t matter, starter or substitute, we give our all to win the match.”confided the young Parisian in the mixed zone. Words which perfectly illustrate the mentality established by Luis Enrique. In a period marked by the absences of several offensive executives, PSG can count on an involved and decisive bench. A wealth that could prove valuable for the rest of the season.
