Paris Saint-Germain won a battle, not yet war. Halfway through a place for the grand finale in Munich, the club of the French capital can however celebrate a first collective performance completed on the side of the Emirates Stadium. Carried by an early achievement by Ousmane Dembélé, rewarding a sparkling start to the match, the men of Luis Enrique then showed a sense of sacrifice in the face of the rise of the Gunners. Valulent, saved by a large gianluigi Donnarumma but also very close to aggravating the scoring on the return from the locker room, PSG was able to count on a midfielder at the top of his art.
Brilliant ruiz, decisive neves, metamorphosed vitinha
From a omnipresent Fabian Ruiz during the first act to a João Neves, author of a saving and globally dominant defensive return in the impact vittinha found, just technically and precious in the face of London offensives, the French champions have constantly relying on their gold trio. Generous in the effort, precious in the pressing, inspired in the transition but above all determining in the protection of their central defense, the three men of the Parisian midfield, credited with a 6.5 by the FM editorial staff, finally took the best in the face of the acolytes of Declan Rice. An impressive return as much noticeable in the lair of the Gunners as in the final statistics of this first appointment: 8 recovered balloons, 2 interceptions, 70% of successful tackles, 14 duels won and a success rate above 90%.
Figures perfectly illustrating the impact of the three Ile -de -France circles in English lands. “It's a good step. It's hard to win here. We knew it after the October match. We made a big match even if we didn't have the ball as usual. This is also what shows that we are a big team, we defend when we have to do. You have to adapt. We are happy with this result even if we could have scored more ”also noted Vitinha, elected man of the match by UEFA, at the microphone of Canal +. And add: “We were sure of ourselves. We don't care about those who don't believe us. We see the incredible supporters, here and at the Parc des Princes. It is together that we do things. It's not over, you have to make a big game in the park. We made a great result, a great collective performance. We showed the desire to go to the final ”.
Luis Enrique retains the collective
Asked in turn, João Neves refused to get carried away despite this first high -flying performance. “We very clearly know that it's not over. We did our best in the field and I am really very happy. It's not yet the party in the locker room because there is a match. I don't think there were doubts. Mentally we know that we are a very good team, we know that if we are focused on us, it will be the best way to achieve our goals. This team is ready for anything, we can defend, attack, with all the players we have. It is good to be in this situation because it shows us that each match, we can suffer and do something ”. Far from screaming victory, Luis Enrique took advantage of his time at a press conference to congratulate his men and in particular his trio of the midfield.
“I have already communicated to you what I feel about this team. It is always very competitive, we get the most out of our qualities. We have done great individual and collective work. There was a great defensive work of the attackers, offensive of the fields of field. A defensive work of all. Arsenal is so strong, you cannot calculate or manage. We gave everything in front of players like Saka, Martinelli, Odegaard, who must be monitored permanently. I would like to highlight the work of 14 or 15 players, I no longer know how much I used it. We do not achieve this result if we do not have 14-15 players convinced of what to do ”. One thing is certain, with such collective force and such a sharp environment, PSG has many arguments to fly away on the Munich side. There remains for that one last step …
