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

I was so glad to get to HT last night only 1-0 down. We struggled at times and hung on, poor goal to give away but generally our defending was pretty good. We gradually started to get some control late in that first half but I really thought we'd dropped a bollock when Phil missed that chance just before HT. Second half though....after that early scare from Mbappe's cross.... just wow! Don't know what Guardiola said at the break but it worked. Slice of luck with KDB's goal?....maybe, but it's a brilliant ball in and Stones is trying to get on the end of it, the keeper and defence shit themselves. Give credit to KDB....how do you defend that? Not the best free kick but we deserve some things to go our way....thought Mahrez was excellent.

Long, long way still to go. I can't get too carried away, PSG are still a dangerous team. Look at the Barca and Bayern scores. However, show the same application for 90 mins next Tuesday as we had in the second half last night and you can't really ask for more. Believe it. Go and finish it off.
 
Dribble said:
After ten minutes in the first half, we were understandably more conservative in our approach as PSG became more dominant & took the lead. Between 20-40 minutes we looked decidedly ragged with PSG pulling us all over the place. However, there's a few things you failed to point out.

When Mahrez & Foden were attacking, they were attacking in isolation, often surrounded by 2-3 PSG players & having little or no options for the pass. This is why most of our first half attacks were being blunted & easily snuffed out.

In the second half I immediately noticed a difference. When Mahrez received the ball, Silva closed in to support him, but crucially Walker overlapped which pushed Bakker back therefore creating space.

Whereas we were closing down individually in the first, in the second half we hunted PSG down in packs giving them little time on the ball, forcing them into errors. This seemed to unnerve them & it reminded us of what we do best most weeks.

Agreed, we didn't have an out & out striker to make the most of many 6 yard box opportunities, but I doubt we'd have made those opportunities unless we had the control we created for ourselves in the second half. It's a legitimate tactic, as we have Foden, Silva, Mahrez, KDB & Gundog who've proven they know where the back of the net is to compensate.

Another crucial observation & probably the most important thing effecting last night was Pep. In the past, he's been guilty (imho) of over-thinking crucial CL ties which have cost him at Bayern & City. Who can forget Bayern's disastrous man for man marking effort against Barca, or the weird formation City played at Klanfield with Gundog playing right wing?

Against PSG the whole world mostly guessed the line up beforehand, with only Zinchenko/Cancelo & Stones/Laporte being the only reasonable unknowns. After the half time team talk, we were reminded of who we were & what we do best, so therefore brilliantly executed it in the second half & PSG couldn't live with us. So much so they began to lose the plot because we were making them look so ordinary. Remember, they're NOT used to being played off the park like we did to them.

As I posted after the Carabao Cup, City are better than most of us fans (me included) give us credit for. Two weeks ago I watched a rerun of El Classico in Madrid 2011-2012 season. Barca were sporting Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Sanchez, Villa, Alves, Busquets, Puyol etc... The Barca team around this era were widely considered to be the finest footballing side in soccer history, & I could definitely see their DNA in the way today's City side play.

This is a big claim, but when we tick (notwithstanding Messi), today's best City side is every bit as good as that iconic Barca team, if not better. I saw more errant passes from Barca that match & less movement than we have. Many times I watch City & I'm perlexed as to what formation we're playing & which players are in what position. If I'm lost, just imagine what opposition players must be thinking/feeling? The crazy thing is that the City players all seem to know what they're doing regardless of who plays, so there's an order to what on the face of it seems very random.

Make no mistake, we thoroughly deserved last night's win. Yes the KDB goal was fortuitous & Mahrez admitted he was trying to curl the ball around the wall, but got it horribly wrong & still scored, but I believe you make your own luck, & we took full advantage of it.

It's only half time & PSG are more than capable of overturning the tie, however we're just as capable as tearing them a new arsehole too, so just as I thought last night, they've got as much to worry about as we have. It'll now come down to who can carry out their plan best next Tuesday & make the most of their luck.

Advantage City, but we'd be silly not to continue where we left off last night. Hopefully Pep has learned to continue with what has served us so well so far, & not to over think the return leg & present us with a surprise line up, formation & set of tactics which has cost us previously.
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Great post. However you make your own luck, if you dominate play and chances sooner or later a lucky break or two goes your way, we were due some.
 
I thought before a ball was kicked in both semi finals that the winner of the PSG and City tie would be favourites to win against either Real Madrid or Chelsea. I didn’t see anything to change my mind. If we get past PSG I’ll be all giddy with belief.
 
BillyShears said:
I think he needs to get a new schtick.

Anyway fucking unbelievable performance last night. This team have got balls of steel and the defenders won't get the credit this deserve. If you look at the teams who have created almost nothing against us this season that's a testament to their work. Especially considering how high the defensive line is with play with.

Dias was my MOTM but I'd be tempted to give it Zin for that 20 minute cameo.
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Yesterday convinced me that at our best, we are the best team left in the tournament; the only team in Europe that might be as good is Bayern. That doesn't mean we will win the UCL. We are the best team in England but lost a semi-final to Chelsea; albeit we certainly didn't field our best side but not sure Chelsea did either. Chelsea under Tuchel are becoming a very good team and have a talented squad. PSG will be very dangerous at the Etihad: they surely have the best front line in Europe; which just emphasises how well we defended in the second half yesterday and, even though they did have 9 shots in the first half, how many times was Eddie tested?
 
BamberBridgeBlue said:
I thought before a ball was kicked in both semi finals that the winner of the PSG and City tie would be favourites to win against either Real Madrid or Chelsea. I didn’t see anything to change my mind. If we get past PSG I’ll be all giddy with belief.
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I’d sooner face Real on so many levels but mainly because I think we’re better than them in every department. Not counting my chickens yet though, I think the semi is only marginally tipped in our favour
 
Gundog’s Gundog said:
I’d sooner face Real on so many levels but mainly because I think we’re better than them in every department. Not counting my chickens yet though, I think the semi is only marginally tipped in our favour
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It would be a more fun way to win as well wouldn't it? Taking down the 13 times champions, kings of the competitions, Tebas' favourite club, Pep's arch-rivals. The definition of the footballing establishment.

I wouldn't complain about beating Chelsea obviously, but Real Madrid would be sweeter.
 
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