Paris Saint-Germain launched its European campaign in the best possible way with a demonstration at the Parc des Princes. Against Slovan Bratislava, Luis Enrique’s men largely won (6-1) in a quickly one-sided encounter, driven in particular by an already decisive Ousmane Dembélé and Ferran Torres, author of a hat-trick for his first start in the Champions League with the Parisian club. In this great success, the Spanish technician had nevertheless reserved several surprises in his starting eleven, notably in midfield with the presence of Dro Fernandez alongside Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz.
The tenure of the young Spanish midfielder was precisely one of the curiosities of this evening. While João Neves was expected to be one of the strong men of the Parisian midfield, Luis Enrique decided to leave him on the bench to launch Dro Fernandez into the European deep end. Same choice regarding Senny Mayulu, another natural candidate for a place in the eleven. For the young Parisian, this decision necessarily represented a real opportunity, but also an important test after a first season that was still relatively discreet at the highest level. Already present in the professional group last season, Dro now had to take a step forward and show that he could really enter the rotation of such a competitive squad.
A sparkling performance for the young midfielder
Luis Enrique had decided to trust him in a meeting where Paris absolutely had to launch its European season after a complicated start to the financial year. And Dro Fernandez seized this opportunity perfectly. “This is a reward for all players. Dro is only 18 years old. It’s amazing to play like this. We have no rush. We know its quality. I don’t want to hold back a player tonight. All the players participated“. Installed in the heart of the game, the young midfielder never seemed intimidated by the challenge of this first start in the Champions League. He played simple, fair and clean, actively participating in Parisian control and allowing PSG to maintain fluid ball circulation. His performance becomes even more evident when we observe his activity in distribution, with 51 successful passes out of 54 attempted, or 94% accuracy. He also completed 39 of his 42 passes in the opposition’s half, demonstrating his ability to play forward without sacrificing his team’s security.
Beyond the figures, it was above all his confidence that made an impression. Dro Fernandez touched 74 balls and was particularly clean in his use of the ball, with maximum efficiency in his own half since his 12 attempted passes all found takers there. He also delivered three crosses, one of which was successful, adding a real ability to project himself and fuel the Parisian offensives. In a match where PSG controlled 72% of the possession and made 550 passes, the young Spaniard blended in perfectly with the team. Above all, he scored points in what was expected to be fierce competition in midfield. João Neves, Senny Mayulu and Warren Zaire-Emery all have an important status, but Dro has just reminded that he will also have to be taken into account in Luis Enrique’s choices.
