“It was an exceptional match. I’ve never experienced that as a coach, a match of such intensity and this desire to win… I think all the supporters liked it, whatever the team. They were happy to see this show. Now is not the time to see the negative. This is only the 3rd game they have lost this season. We deserved to win, to draw and to lose.”. This is what Luis Enrique said at the microphone of Canal +, a few moments after PSG’s spectacular victory against Bayern Munich (5-4) in the semi-final first leg of the Champions League. And it is clearly difficult to prove the Asturian coach wrong, given the spectacle offered by the 22 actors this Tuesday evening.
A historic victory… but regrets?
Observers, players, supporters, managers… all were, in fact, quickly unanimous in saying that this clash at the top most certainly came very close to the most beautiful evenings in the history of the competition. Yes, but PSG can also have some regrets after this completely crazy confrontation. The reason? This advantage of three goals per hour of play (5-2). At the final whistle, Ousmane Dembélé recognized that his team had certainly stopped playing a little. “Regrets at 5-2? No, we had a team in great form in front of us. We were able to score 3 goals in a short space of time. The most important thing is to savor this victory”tempered Lucas Hernandez, present in the mixed zone.
However, it is clear that the capital club missed a great opportunity to come to Munich with a comfortable mattress. A three-goal lead which finally melted like snow in the sun with two goals, in quick succession, by Dayot Upamecano (65th) and Luis Diaz (68th). An awakening in Munich also consistent with the exit of a certain Warren Zaire-Emery (64th). Aligned in the role of relay midfielder, the Parisian Titi had, until then, made a perfect copy. Precise in construction, serene against the Bavarian pressing and precious in its defensive work – notably to support Nuno Mendes against the untenable Michael Olise – WZE ultimately did not have the chance to finish this match at the top.
The astonishing exit of Warren Zaire-Emery
Enough to question the coaching carried out by Luis Enrique? While it should be noted that there are a multitude of factors that could explain this scenario, it is obvious that the entry of Fabian Ruiz clearly did not help PSG maintain its control in the midfield. Where Zaire-Emery harassed the ball carrier, the Spaniard – most certainly still short of form – gave the Munich players more time and, at the same time, distinguished himself with a few lost balls (33% of duels won, 2 balls lost). “The pace of this match was different from normal. At this intensity, the players who came in contributed a lot. Fabian came in very well, Senny (Mayulu) and Bradley Barcola too”Luis Enrique defended himself at a press conference.
Before adding: “The quality of this Bayern team is very clear. The intensity was exceptional. We won this match, we are very happy, but after the 5-2, you think you can have something else. But we deserved to win, we deserved the draw, and we also deserved to lose this match.. A legitimate speech in view of the fight between the two teams and shared by a certain Vitinha, who did not wish to associate this reaction from Bayern with the changes made by his coach. “I don’t think so, it matches the timing (the goal and Ruiz’s entry, editor’s note) but it was a free kick. Bayern were three goals behind, they had to do something, we wanted to keep the advantage even if we continued to press high. It’s a little more mental, I prefer to concentrate on that than on the substitutes. We all did well, we deserve congratulations and we must do the same in Munich..
So of course, as the Parisian coach quickly indicated, this is perhaps not the time to see the negative. Yes, Senny Mayulu contributed and could have given his team two goals back if his shot had not hit Manuel Neuer’s crossbar (87th). Yes, Lucas Hernandez and Bradley Barcola did the job at the end of the match but this outing by Warren Zaire-Emery – credited with a 6.5 by the FM editorial team – will not have failed to surprise more than one observer present on site. It remains to be hoped that PSG will not regret, within a week, not having been able to maintain this large advantage in the score half an hour from time. See you in Munich.
