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When the pain of defeat finally subsides, the first question Paris Saint-Germain will ask themselves will be how they failed to score a single goal in this Champions League semi-final.
PSG mustered 44 attempts over the two matches against Borussia Dortmund, six of which hit the woodwork. It’s not easy to explain. “What does it depend on? The Holy Spirit passing by,” Luis Enrique joked, perplexed. “We had more than three expected goals tonight.
“If there is a team that was unlucky, it is PSG.”
Misfortune plays a role but, after 180 minutes of football spread over two matches with very tense stakes, there is more than that. In truth, PSG lacked composure when they needed it most. Dortmund, on the other hand, were better in both boxes, as Kylian Mbappe admitted. “In decisive matches, in the Champions League, you have to be ruthless,” he said. “And we weren’t ruthless enough.”
When the goals aren’t flowing, attention turns to goalscorer Mbappe – especially since none of this was written into the script.
Mbappé was denied his glorious farewell (Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Images)
It was his final appearance for PSG in the Champions League at the Parc des Princes but, after six years at the club, there would be no ‘last dance’ at Wembley. No last chance to capture the trophy that he and his club covet the most. Finally, he slipped quietly into the night. “When I score, I take the light and I stand in front of you,” he said. “When I don’t, I take the dark side too.”
For some, it was a fitting finale, the final symbol of the ‘Galacticos’ expenditure – and a player who had an extraordinary influence at that club, ending his tenure without European glory. The Champions League could not be bought with billions of investments nor won by a player with a world record salary.
This understates what Mbappe means to PSG fans.
The brilliance of Kylian Mbappé
Of course, maintaining this relationship was not always easy, but it was the local who achieved numerous records, and became world champion and captain of France. His pain was that of PSG on Tuesday, an anguish reinforced by pre-match hopes. The stage was set for a perfect start: an electric atmosphere and a beatable opponent. PSG drew (1-1 away) and beat (2-0 at home) Dortmund in the group stage of the competition this season, although Dortmund had never scored at the Parc des Princes, and again less earned.
Yet all these expectations came to nothing. Mbappe’s final action of the match was to trip and fall as he chased down a through ball – the first he had received behind the Dortmund defense all night. Sports doesn’t always follow neat narratives.
A sad Luis Enrique at the end (Aurélien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images)
From this point on, the usual narrative at PSG sees the knives drawn – particularly after a European exit at the hands of a team they were supposed to beat – but not this time.
Club President Nasser Al-Khelaifi, speaking after the match, chastised a journalist for asking a question that is asked every year when the Champions League dream dies: a version of “Is the manager’s job safe?” “. But his response, a dismissive “Are you serious with this question?” followed by a “Do you understand football?” », reflected the state of mind of PSG. Stability is valued. The desire to prioritize longer-term planning, with Luis Enrique at the helm, should be obvious to everyone.
This year’s autopsy won’t be as thorough. This season has been a period of transition and, although they have won the Ligue 1 title and still have a Coupe de France final against Lyon in a few weeks, for the most part it looks like this.
PSG had the chance to advance this far in the Champions League. They had a good draw in the knockout stage, avoiding the heavyweights on the other side of the table. They were saved from elimination in the group stage by a dubious penalty at home to Newcastle United, then were eliminated at Dortmund because Newcastle failed to beat AC Milan on the final day – and this even before arriving at Barcelona and Ronald Araujo’s match. -change of red card in the quarter-final.
It was a season of experimentation, with 13 new faces and a manager looking for a refined formula to suit his playing squad and philosophy.
They lacked consistency and that was evident in their recent Champions League matches. But most importantly, it all feels very fresh and new. It’s a young team. The average age of their starting lineup on Tuesday was 24 years and 157 days. This was the youngest starting XI in a Champions League semi-final since Arsenal in May 2009.
The age and inexperience of the group also help to explain why their composure in the final third was so noticeably absent in this semi-final. There was anticipation but also waiting. If he rose to the occasion in Barcelona, this new-look PSG could not achieve the same feat here. They struggled under pressure.
This season was still a step in the right direction.
Off the pitch, the supporters are once again united with the club. About 12 months ago, the PSG team, led by golden front three Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mbappé, was heckled mercilessly by the club’s ultras, while Neymar’s home was targeted as supporters’ protests intensified. On Tuesday, fans unveiled a tifo they had prepared for weeks that represented all members of the playing team, as well as consulting sporting director Luis Campos, Luis Enrique and Al-Khelaifi. The ultras also chanted each player’s name before kick-off.
The supporters’ pre-match tifo (Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Images)
On the pitch, there are new fan favorites, like Warren Zaire-Emery, and there is potential everywhere, from Bradley Barcola and Goncalo Ramos to Xavi Simons, currently on loan at RB Leipzig.
This gives a better picture of the future, as does Luis Enrique’s position within the setup.
This is undoubtedly the most encouraging aspect. The Spanish coach quickly established something all his predecessors wanted but struggled to maintain: power and influence. After Mbappe informed the club of his intention to leave, Luis Enrique asserted his authority, removing him from the starting XI and rotating him like any other player.
These rotations keep players on their toes. “One good thing that coach has brought is that we never know who is going to start,” Ramos said last week. “That’s why we work very hard every week. It’s good for us because we’re always ready to play.
Luis Enrique has instilled some of the basic principles of his playing philosophy and the numbers reflect that. Before Tuesday, PSG averaged its highest possession rate in Champions League matches since Opta began collecting this data in August 2003. Additionally, its PSG team allowed the fewest opposing passes per defensive action in the tournament – a “PPDA” of 8.7. , suggesting an aggressive press.
In short, he made PSG run more.
Luis Enrique has had a positive impact on PSG this season (Christian Liewig – Corbis/Getty Images)
This ultimately leaves PSG in a better position for next season, especially as their continental rivals all appear to be looking for a new head coach. Luis Enrique is enjoying a full year in Paris – and a successful one, a few teething problems aside.
PSG should have beaten Dortmund on Tuesday. They spent enough money last summer, more than €250 million (£215 million; $268 million), to achieve this. But they were still ahead of schedule with this run in the Champions League.
Mbappe would see things differently, of course, and that was the underlying tension of the season: his short-term hopes and PSG’s new long-term direction. In fact, it was his genius that got the team this far. He is by far their top scorer.
He’ll leave without the desired farewell, but PSG still have something to hold on to – and that might just make this year’s disappointment more palatable.
GO FURTHER
The Briefing: PSG 0 Dortmund 1 – Crucial Hummels, PSG’s offensive difficulties
(Top photo: Glenn Gervot/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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