Like bullfighters, Luis Enrique is inflamed by danger. This Wednesday in Paris he looked for it. He called him up from a lineup with practically no midfielders. Only Vitinha – base midfielder – and Fabián – attacking interior – made up PSG’s midfield line in front of Gündogan, Frenkie de Jong and Sergi Roberto, a trio that brings together two of the best central midfielders in Europe.
2
Gianluigi Donnarumma, Lucas, Beraldo, Nuno Mendes, Marquinhos, Fabián (Goncalo Ramos, min. 85), Vitor Ferreira, Lee Kang-In (Warren Zaïre-Emery, min. 60), Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappe and Marco Asensio (Bradley Barcola, min. 45)
3
Ter Stegen, Koundé, Ronald Araújo, Pau Cubarsí, Cancelo, Gündogan (Fermín López, min. 85), Sergi Roberto (Pedri, min. 61), Frenkie De Jong (A. Christensen, min. 75), Raphinha (Ferrán Torres , min. 75), Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal
Goals 0-1 min. 36: Raphinha. 1-1 min. 48: Ousmane Dembélé. 2-1 min. 50: Vitor Ferreira. 2-2 min. 61: Raphinha. 2-3 min. 76: A. Christensen.
Referee Anthony Taylor
Yellow cards Sergi Roberto (min. 34), Vitor Ferreira (min. 64), Pau Cubarsí (min. 82), A. Christensen (min. 87) and Fermín López (min. 88)
Luis Enrique and Xavi Hernández met in the locker room tunnel at the Parc des Princes moments before the game. The face to face took place after the Asturian coach proclaimed the day before that he represented Barça’s style better than his counterpart. “Look at the possession data, the titles, the high pressure. It is not debatable. “They are data,” Luis Enrique boasted. It did not seem like the most opportune time to miss a colleague who is going through moments of dubious popularity. Upon seeing Xavi, he questioned him in the middle of the hallway about the joking nickname he received in the locker room when he was a player: “Pelopo!”. Two cameras followed them. Xavi, who was wrapped in a feather parka, opened his arms inviting him to embrace him shouting: “How aggressive! “How aggressive!” “You know how I always go,” the PSG coach told him. And he added: “Are you going to protest today?”
There are coaches’ games and players’ games. This PSG-Barça in Paris had a lot of the former. At the start of the game, because Luis Enrique made a kamikaze approach: putting Kang-in Lee as right inside meant exposing Fabián and Vitinha in a depopulated midfield. None of the three were base midfielders. To make matters worse, at the top, as a false nine, Marco Asensio, a footballer infamous for incurring deep gaps in inactivity, acted, especially when it comes to providing support to the interiors in maintenance functions. Asensio, a long substitute under Luis Enrique, lives for great finishes in the rival area. Outside of that, he becomes a spectator. Vitinha, Fabián, Lee, Mbappé, and also Dembélé, who for a while played as if overcome by nostalgia for the Mediterranean.The Luis Enrique’s strange configuration came across a squad of true experts in organizing defenses: Araujo, Frenkie de Jong, Güdogan and Sergi Roberto formed a supportive block. Under his direction, Cancelo, Cubarsí and Koundé did serious work.
The 0-1 score at half-time forced Luis Enrique to take urgent measures: he removed Asensio and brought in Barcola. End by end. The consequence was immediate: Vitinha took possession of a divided ball, passed it to Mbappé, and Dembélé made it 1-1. Two minutes later, Vitinha himself, relying on Barcola and Fabián, completed the play to make it 2-1. Then it was Xavi’s turn. The first thing the Barça coach did to close the leak was to send Christensen to warm up and introduce Pedri for Sergi Roberto. It took 45 seconds to take effect. The first ball that Pedri touched was to place it in front of Raphinha between Marquinhos and Beraldo. The Brazilian turned, connected and made it 2-2. His first double with Barça.
“I think it is evident that the result discredits my decisions,” said Luis Enrique, at the end of the game, when asked about the formation of the midfield in the starting lineup. “I accept it with sportsmanship. “I am a born athlete.”
Each contribution of the coaches to interventionism bore instant results. Xavi continued his carousel with the same effect. He removed De Jong, who was playing his first game after a month and a half of injury, and brought on Christensen, who two minutes later made it 2-3 in a hubbub in the Donnarumma area. Luis Enrique’s response was as crazy as his initial lineup: he put Mbappé in the middle in a position of nine, the position he likes least, where he feels most uncomfortable, the main cause of a long dispute with the coach. Next to him he placed Gonçalo Ramos, who entered the fray in place of Fabián. PSG ended up with four forwards and two midfielders. Again, with a meager midfield against what is probably the most gifted interior group on the continent. The result was an unappealable punishment.
“It was a great team game,” said Xavi after the final whistle; “to be able to say that Barça is alive. We have been more supportive than ever. Both in defense and attack. This collective work is what makes me feel most proud.”
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