Paris Saint-Germain (A) - CL SF | Post-Match Thread

I was half expecting a dour semi final with cancelling each other out, that would have led me to tidying up my spanner drawer. From the off it was clear that would need to wait, as important as it was. Le Francheez, obviously still smarting from Waterloo and English people communicating through shouting, were right at you. I don't think I was alone in thinking, fuck, here we go.

They created a couple of chances and looked dangerous every time they came forward. Their goal added to the mix and it was like watching Sean Connery lying on his Chicago apartment floor, all shot to fuck, as he challenged Pep, kneeling over him, with the immortal "What are you going to do now?"

Well, it might have been the wine, but I saw a steel that has been missing for you in previous CL crunch games. As that steel held, you started to show why you are rated and like those Scots regiments at Waterloo, began to take them on.

The feeling I had as half time approached was, you can fucking do this City. And do it you did. It was one of those games that for me at least, you showed you had the balls as well as the skill to win it. A truly fantastic result against a top side in their own midden. I would advocate no feelings of victory just yet. The battle is yet to be won, and like Waterloo, there are still many opportunities to lose it. I believe you can go and finish them off, but they will pose a threat and have nothing to lose, so will throw everything at you. I won't say you have done the hard bit, because that kind of thinking seldom ends well. I do believe you have them on the run, but if you hesitate, they can and probably will regroup and fuck you over.

Great game, great result, great performance, but nobody has been put to the sword yet. Good luck in the return.
 
supercity88 said:
Good post, but the Pep over-thinking comment isn't completely true. He always adapts if things aren't working. The Bayern game you mentioned for example he sacked off after 15mins and the game was still 0-0. They conceded three times in the last 13mins but were without Ribery and Robben.

I think he does show a little too much respect at times. Last night the same was true. We seemed to be under instruction to sit back and not over commit for fear of being caught on the break. But second half we went back to our usual gameplan and they couldn't get the ball in order to have a counter attack. They were blowing by the end and as a team there really is an issue with them. They're a bunch of petty school kids when things go wrong. We have to be wary of that.
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With respect, I'm still of the opinion he has a tendency to over think things in crucial CL matches. This was latently revealed when Pep recalled what Cruyff had told Barca players about treating big matches as friendlies, enjoying them & rising to the occasion. Previously we've seemed too pressured because of the; 'Pep was brought in to win the CL', 'After spending £1,000,000,000,000,000,000 on players, Pep STILL hasn't won a CL in 10 years.' Etc.... Even during a testing first half the skeleton of who we are was clearly evident, however after half time, we put flesh on our bones by compacting our play more & supporting each other, meaning no players were left isolated & outnumbered with no options to pass to.

Yes we were more conservative in the first half, but all it took was a reminder of what we do week in week out to turn our fortunes around in the second half, where previously Pep seems to have ripped up what has worked for us to spring a surprise which hasn't worked. There's a big difference between a tactical adjustment, & some of the wholesale tactical & personnel changes in crucial matches I've seen previously which have left me more than a little baffled.
 
After the match I was on the Player Performances threads and just reflected on how many amazing players we have. We've gone from thinking we were lacking a team "spine" quite recently (I remember some conversations on here at the start of the season) to one where we have world class players in almost every position.

Recently, we've had great performances from KDB, Foden, Mahrez, Bernardo, Walker, Stones, Diaz, Ederson, and v good ones, if a bit more erratically from Rodri, Zinchenko, Cancelo.

I wouldn't have thought, a year ago, that we could be in this position without Silva, and with less or no playing time for Dinho and Aguero.

I hesitate to say this because it might sound arrogant, but the team sheet currently has a real stature, like the great Barca, Chelsea, United, Real, Bayern teams did.
 
Our team can take so much from the second half display. There’s no need for us to be ‘shy’ anymore.
 
shemnel said:
20/21 CL:

P 11 W 10 D 1 L 0 ; GF 23 GA 4 ; 7 clean sheets. 10 goalscorers.
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As a coincidence, 19/20 CL Bayern won all 11 matches (QF and SF only 1-legged though)...

Those teams are riding their momentum, players feel they are unstoppable.

City is so difficult to beat right now. Esp our bounce-back stories vs Dortmund and now PSG are priceless. We are in the heads of our opponents: even if they are winning, we will get stronger until we win.

PSG didn't have much from open play and I think they don't really know how to beat us in the 2nd leg.
Last night we have shown them we are a mentally strong team - and they are not. They feel it.
 
mccity said:
They might be good but I don't think they'll be quite as good as they were in the 1st half last night. It's difficult to see how they could catch us out again tactically in that way.

Gueye will be a big miss. His defensive work played a big role in PSG's early pressure.
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hope so. Hard to change old long term worries :)
 
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