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

[Gorton_Tubster]

To paraphrase a previous post "Opinions & Arseholes " we all have one .You have yours and I have mine

But some or massive, some are old and tired , some have gaping holes in them

 

[AlgarveBlu]

Pep just mustn't over think it.

word from the training ground is that Pep has successfully manged to create worm holes in the space time continuum during training and is just giving last minute positional instructions to the players - I’m calm

 

[Legal Alien]

Been thinking the same.People suggesting the team picks itself....true,until we bring the fullbacks into the equation.
It's this level of game that proves why we still need to be looking for a left back in the summer.

You can't say your last sentence yet, because the games haven't been played.
Let's see how we get on first, they may surprise a few people!

 

[domalino]

Agree with a lot of what you say but can't help but think this is a game for Cancelo. Ultimately as a defender he's better than Zinchenko. That's what we need against Di Maria.

It's all opinions but I think Zinchenko's better. He's put in big performances against the likes of Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Dortmund and not made a mistake, and been part of a very solid defence up against some very good wingers. Every time we have a big match people say he'll be exposed and he isn't.

Cancelo has made mistakes, he cost us the Leeds game only a couple of weeks ago. His concentration levels are questionable.

Also Zinchenko being left footed makes a big difference when it's Dias and Stones in defence. We saw how bad our build up was against Dortmund with Cancelo LB, and Pep called it out after the game and used Zinchenko in the second leg.

Plus Di Maria is 33 and isn't going to bomb down the outside to expose Zinchenko's only real weakness, pace. He's going to drift inside, into midfield spaces where Zinchenko is much better.

 

[Phil1]

I think Zinchenko's better. He's put in big performances against the likes of Liverpool, Spurs, Chelsea, United, Arsenal, Dortmund and not made a mistake, and been part of a very solid defence up against some very good wingers.

Cancelo has made mistakes, he cost us the Leeds game only a couple of weeks ago.

Also Zinchenko being left footed makes a big difference when it's Dias and Stones in defence. We saw how bad our build up was against Dortmund with Cancelo LB, and Pep called it out after the game and used Zinchenko in the second leg.

I'd 100% have Zinchenko start tonight.

 

[kaz7]

No nerves , just give it our best and no mistakes , see who blinks first kind of game i reckon

 

[HelloCity]

Hopefully we set up with Zinchenko coming in to stifle Di Maria, Walker glued to Mbappé and make Neymar get through Stones and Dias.

Rodri & Bernardo gang up on Verratti.

The main thing is that we need to push up really high so Walker has enough space to deal with Mbappé and whoever is pinging balls over the top doesn't have time to get them perfect.

I think this will be quite like Madrid last season - the press will win it.

Bayern were pushed up as high as possible vs PSG and it was their undoing.

 

[HelloCity]

Mentioned before but we lost to Leicester with no where near our best back four and we lost to Spurs, United, Leeds and Chelsea without our best performing attackers.

We’re pretty formidable with Foden, Bernardo, Mahrez, De Bruyne and Gundogan all starting.

 

[domalino]

Bayern were pushed up as high as possible vs PSG and it was their undoing.

Pavard isn't Kyle Walker.

Also they lost the midfield battle. If you give players all the time in the world to play a ball over the top, they'll get it in the sweet spot between keeper and defence. If you press them, they're just knocking balls long and it's not the same.


Dias and Stones are much quicker than Alaba and Sule also, a lot of PSG's chances came from those two jumping out of the line Otamendi style.

 

[Scottyboi]

Wonder how many bookings Neymar will win for them.

 

[Scottyboi]

.................Ederson....................
Walker....Dias....Laporte....Zinchenko
.................Rodri.......................
.........KDB.............Gundo............
Mahrez.........Bernie............Foden

 

[Parisian]

Both teams full fitness. What a cracking game this will be. If we can just come away with an away goal and keep MBappe and Tom Daley quiet that will do for me.

I wouldn't say "full fitness". Marquinhos is coming back from an injury and it will be his first game since. Same with Florenzi (i don't like him at all but whatever). Also, our most impactful full back is out for the season (Bernat). But yeah, it is as close as it is for PSG. We are used to have more missing players.

 

[Parisian]

What I have found quite surprising playing against teams from France in recent seasons, is how poor their fitness levels seem to tail off during the final 20 minutes?

PSG is usually "soft" in that matter too. Almost always the team with the less km covered in the game. Must be the way they play the game too because the opponents tend to run less than their usual self too.

 

[OccupiedPalestineBlues]

Pep just mustn't over think it.
We can beat anybody on our day.

I’m more concerned about him under-thinking it due to his attention being drawn away so many people trotting out that same old tired old cliche about him possibly over-thinking it ;-)

 

[Cornish_Blue]

What I have found quite surprising playing against teams from France in recent seasons, is how poor their fitness levels seem to tail off during the final 20 minutes?

They’ve normally put the game to bed by then.

 

[blue wang]

I’m more concerned about him under-thinking it due to his attention being drawn away so many people trotting out that same old tired old cliche about him possibly over-thinking it ;-)

Over or under thinking, paralysis of analysis.

Just plain vanilla tactics tonight,. Nothing exotic should get the job done.

 

[wolviedinho]

This match is all about our mentality.

Stop the excuses.
Stop being afraid.
Stop feeling inferior.

Go out and impose our game plan correctly and it won’t matter who PSG have playing. If we go out timid the match will end in defeat. Time for our Yaya fa cup moment in this competition.

Come on City! You are the best team in the competition, now prove it.

 

[AliBobbyJ]

When I was growing up there were two games in the European Cup that especially impressed me. Celtic beating Milan in the final in Lisbon and Utd putting Eusebio's Benfica to the sword 5-1 away from home. They're the kind of stunning, smashing performances I want to see by City tonight, not the scruffy "let's get an away goal" result many on here are asking for. Time to make a statement that this is City's year, when a collection of highly talented individuals all play the game of their lives and become better even than the sum of their parts. And just as Celtic had little Jimmy Johnstone dazzling the Italians all those years ago I think tonight it will be Raheem Sterling doing that to PSG.

 

[Don Karleone]

Nerves kicking in now. Might nip out for a couple beforehand

 

[OccupiedPalestineBlues]

Over or under thinking, paralysis of analysis.

Just plain vanilla tactics tonight,. Nothing exotic should get the job done.

If we win then he’ll have got it right, if we win well then he’ll have got it perfectly right, if we lose he’ll get slated for over or possibly under thinking it but ultimately, as we should all accept deep inside, whatever happens he’ll have done a better job of it than any of us expert guessers ever could.