PSG vs Manchester City Game Review : A Tale of Two Halves
PSG vs Manchester City : Game Review
A Tale of Two Halves
City started out strong, but quickly faded. PSG are a team that often presses hard to try and engage opponents and build from the back, yet in this game they were surprisingly content with City having the ball. PSG sat back and set up a low block that City just couldn't penetrate in the first half. Whenever City made a mistake or over committed, PSG would hit back with sharp, fast and precise counters.
Despite having more possession, City struggled in the first half. The skill and flair of Neymar and Di Maria came handy in beating the high press City were employing and they kept threatening the City defense. PSG also relied on 1-2 passing and one touch movement to break through City's defense.
City had their few chances, of course, but the lack of a clinical striker who knows how to get to the balls in the box meant chances were missed. Many great balls were met with no City players in the six yard box.
PSG's efforts paid off early, as a corner kick in the 15th minute turned into a Marquinhos goal. Di Maria sent in the corner kick over a City defense which was caught off guard and Marquinhos punished them for it. 1-0 PSG.
City were still cautious. They elected to not go all guns blazing immediately after the first goal. However, they still struggled to break the PSG low block and couldn't generate great looks to capitalize on.
PSG were clearly the better team in the first half. They played with speed, fire and intent. They had a certain confidence, a spring in their step that City lacked and were able to finish the first half with a 1-0 lead.
Things changed for City after half time. A team that has often struggled to step up in the big moments in this competition in the past broke through those shackles today.
City started the second half with a strong press. This time, City were the ones with confidence and the spring in their step. PSG, meanwhile, seemingly lost their mojo. They didn't have the intent they had in the first half. They sat back and let City retain possession in their own half.
City took the opportunities presented with both hands, showed intent and kept coming at the PSG low block. The way City was hounding the ball with their press and generating attacks, the PSG wall was bound to break, pun intended( we'll get to that later).
City played incredibly well in the second half, yet reaped no rewards for it until the 65th minute. A cross from the Kevin De Bruyne, the captain, went over the PSG defenders, the City attackers and surprisingly, also beyond Navas and into the goal. PSG's blunder meant that City not only drew level, but got a crucial away goal.
City didn't take their foot off the gas just yet. They continued to play the same way they started the second half, with strong intent. They didn't fall back after their first goal the way PSG did after the first half. This would make the difference in this game.
City earned a free kick from a great spot to go for goal. The stage was set for De Bruyne to dazzle yet again. PSG's focus was clearly on the captain of Manchester City, when the unexpected occurred. Mahrez stepped up, struck the ball through the PSG wall straight into the bottom corner. Navas was once again caught off guard. PSG's wall was breached by the Algerian in the most unexpected of ways. 1-2 City. A second away goal that could have far reaching consequences in this tie.
Gueye being sent off made the already slim chances of a PSG comeback became even slimmer and Poch had to make a decision. He decided to stay passive, defend and try to hit back in 6 days time in Manchester. Not conceding further goals became the priority.
The last few minutes of the game were rather uneventful. City started slowing down, PSG went into damage control mode. There was one last Hail Mary push from PSG but to no avail. The game ended 2-1 in City's favor.
A game of two halves, with each team controlling one half. City made more of their chances in the second half than PSG did in the first.
Certain players impressed, some disappointed. Di Maria and Neymar were fabulous in the first half. However, they were a shadow of their earlier selves in the second half.
Mbappe struggled and didn't register a single shot. Ruben Dias continues to impress and prove he's one of the best defenders in the world and his handling of Mbappe is a testament to his ability.
Cancelo was on the other side of the spectrum. He struggled to get going offensively, where he offers the most value and he was constantly threatened by Di Maria. It was a match-up he was soundly losing and City had no semblance of stability in that flank until Cancelo was subbed off for Zinchenko.
Kevin De Bruyne didn't quite put up a Kevin De Bruyne masterclass (a victim of his own standards), yet stepped up when required, earning himself the MOTM award.
Riyad Mahrez showed his quality once again with not only his brilliant free kick, but also through his runs at the defense and link up play. He was constantly testing the young Bakker, who surprisingly held his own.
Veratti and Paredes were not only defensively solid, but also helped create quick counters in the first half. Definitely a positive for PSG in the first leg.
Pep has often been accused of overthinking in these UCL ties. This time, Pep kept it simple, he stuck to his game plan and was rewarded. As his mentor Cruyff said, "Playing simple football is the hardest thing there is". Pep played simple and was able to get the win in the away leg against a dangerous PSG team that beat Barca and Bayern.
Poch has a lot of work to do. One positive is that his low block, for the most part, stayed strong. Both of City's goals were rather fortunate and very peculiar. They could never really destroy the low block in a way that Poch would have to rethink his defensive tactics. However, they can't let City outplay them the way they did in the second half. They come into the second leg with 2 away goals against them and they need to play with intent and fire in Manchester. They can't let City gain confidence.
Poch settling for a loss clearly shows that this tie is not yet over. His men will come to Manchester seeking revenge and a ticket to Istanbul for their second consecutive UCL final. This game, featuring multiple stars, incredible tactical minds and 2 European juggernauts, certainly delivered and something tells me the second leg has more to deliver in the drama department.
We can expect fireworks in 6 days time in Manchester.
Until next time,
Karthik Sabareesh.
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