Paris Saint-Germain retained their European crown after a stifling final against Arsenal (1-1, 4-3 tab). However, nothing was easy for Luis Enrique’s men. Trailing from the 6th minute after a goal from Kai Havertz, the Parisians struggled for a long time with the impressive defensive organization put in place by Mikel Arteta. Despite overwhelming territorial domination and more than 75% possession during a good part of the match, PSG came up against an extremely disciplined English block who closed all the spaces and frustrated the Parisian attackers for more than an hour. But by pushing, Paris ended up finding the opening thanks to a penalty obtained by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and transformed by Ousmane Dembélé in the 65th minute.
The meeting then changed its face. Arsenal were forced to come out more, revealing spaces that PSG had not had until then. Kvaratskhelia hit the post, Vitinha grazed the top corner and Bradley Barcola missed two huge chances against David Raya. After an extra period marked by the fatigue of both camps, the Parisians finally made the difference during the penalty shootout to win a second consecutive Champions League and make even more history. But behind this coronation, there is also a tactical demonstration by Luis Enrique. Long faced with an Arsenal team perfectly prepared to neutralize its starting eleven, the Spanish coach gradually changed the balance of power thanks to his bench.
Changes that were surprising but…
The entry of Bradley Barcola in place of Kvaratskhelia immediately brought depth and speed at the back of a London defense which was beginning to suffer physically. Certainly, the French international missed two huge chances which could have avoided extra time, but each of his accelerations put Saliba, Gabriel and Hincapié under pressure. At the same time, Warren Zaire-Emery brought impact and energy to the midfield just when the bodies were starting to give up, allowing PSG to maintain their territorial control despite the intensity of the final. “I feel positive feelings. I’m in a dream. I am very happy. But I want to point out one thing. We were very unfair with Warren (Zaire-Emery, substitute), because he deserved to play in this final. He showed his personality, he accepted my decision, but it was very unfair. He is a great professional and I wanted to say that. We had a very high level final against a great opponent who scored quickly and it was a perfect plan for them. It was difficult for us, we couldn’t find the spaces. It was a little better afterwards, but against Arsenal, who defend very well in a low block, it was tricky. This back-to-back is important and we are proud. It’s time to party.”explained Luis Enrique.
And Luis Enrique’s reading was even more visible during extra time. By removing Marquinhos and Vitinha, two exhausted players, to launch Zabarnyi and Beraldo, the Spanish technician completely reorganized his team without losing his balance. Zabarnyi immediately brought freshness and serenity to the defensive duels as Arsenal looked for a second wind with their offensive starters. Beraldo, for his part, offered an additional solution in the use of the ball and responded perfectly to the confidence of his coach until converting the decisive shot on goal of his career in the Parisian jersey. Without forgetting the valuable entry of Gonçalo Ramos, who knew how to continue to tire the London defense while scoring his shot on goal. Where Arteta tried to modify his attack without really changing the dynamics of the match, Luis Enrique saw each of his replacements respond. In a final that came down to details, the Parisian bench made the difference. And this is perhaps where the Spanish coach won his best battle of the evening. And as he likes to say, sometimes we just can’t understand…
