Paris Saint-Germain did not win over Bayern Munich in the direct result yesterday, as the return match in Munich ended in a 1-1 draw, but it won the most important battle, qualifying for the Champions League final with a score of 6-5. Ousmane Dembele’s early goal in the third minute turned the match around psychologically and tactically, while Harry Kane’s equalizer in stoppage time came too late to save Bayern.
The trap that Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique set for his opponent yesterday, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, was not complicated. Rather, it was very clear and cruel, as he relied on giving Bayern the ball, pulling his lines forward, and then hitting in the spaces he left behind his high pressure.
Kompany entered the match with the logic of a coach who wants to impose his style regardless of the circumstances. Advanced pressure, rushing backs, and continuous attempts to get the ball into dangerous areas. But Enrique read this well, and did not treat possession as an end, but rather as a weapon that could be abandoned when space became more valuable than the ball.
Dembele’s goal was the summary of the whole plan. A quick move from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a well-timed pass, and then a direct finish before Bayern actually entered the atmosphere of the match. From that moment on, Kompany became forced to attack more, and Paris became more comfortable in his game, as he became organized in defence, closing in deep, and waiting for the right moment to escape behind Bayern’s lines.
Most importantly, Enrique did not allow Barren’s star Harry Kane to be the center of the match. Bayern pressed, attacked, and created dangerous moments, but Paris defended well inside the penalty area, and closed the spaces for crosses and returned balls. Even when Kane found the net in the 94th minute.
The trap that Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique set for his opponent yesterday, Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, was not complicated. Rather, it was very clear and cruel, as he relied on giving Bayern the ball, pulling his lines forward, and then hitting in the spaces he left behind his high pressure.
Kompany entered the match with the logic of a coach who wants to impose his style regardless of the circumstances. Advanced pressure, rushing backs, and continuous attempts to get the ball into dangerous areas. But Enrique read this well, and did not treat possession as an end, but rather as a weapon that could be abandoned when space became more valuable than the ball.
Dembele’s goal was the summary of the whole plan. A quick move from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a well-timed pass, and then a direct finish before Bayern actually entered the atmosphere of the match. From that moment on, Kompany became forced to attack more, and Paris became more comfortable in his game, as he became organized in defence, closing in deep, and waiting for the right moment to escape behind Bayern’s lines.
Most importantly, Enrique did not allow Barren’s star Harry Kane to be the center of the match. Bayern pressed, attacked, and created dangerous moments, but Paris defended well inside the penalty area, and closed the spaces for crosses and returned balls. Even when Kane found the net in the 94th minute.
Kompany did not lose because he did not attack, but because he attacked the way Enrique wanted. He stuck to his high line, and Paris found the spaces. He raised the tempo, and his opponent found an opportunity to slow him down. He looked for chaos, and Enrique turned it into a cold defensive system.
Paris was not only prettier, he was smarter. Enrique did not defeat Bayern by force alone, but rather he made Kompany pay the price for his excessive faith in a merciless manner when he faced a team like Paris Saint-Germain.
