Paris Saint-Germain had a shaking against Aston Villa, but they came through a harsh examination and Luis Enrique believes they will be stronger for her. They remain the favorites to win the Champions League. Above you, Kylian Mbappe.
With PSG well placed to become the first French side in over 30 years to raise the trophy, this is a difficult time for Mbappe. He risks being the man who joined the current European champions just to find out that he was leaving future European champions.
Quite bad in itself, but worse when there are many arguments that the relocation of power from Madrid to Paris is partially relieved by its opposite direction. Only a comeback for ages from Real Madrid against Arsenal would change the narrative.
Even in the 3-2 loss in villa at night, enough to advance 5-4 in total, PSG showed why opposition captain John McGinn praised them as the best team he has ever faced. Technically excellent and filled with rhythm, they punish in different ways.
“Of course, we are a team that attacks well against a low block,” Luis Enrique then said. “But we’re even better when there is space.” Their two goals came to the counter. But the team’s work also differs, standing in the middle of the attack.
Theirs is the story of a team that certainly lost the best player in the world, but found something in the process. For Luis Enrique, it is justifying. He not only believed he could improve PSG after Mbappe had left, he had told everyone exactly.
“I was very brave last season when I told you we would have a better team in attack and protection,” said the former Barcelona coach in February. “I still think we’re better at attack and defense. The figures are there to say it. The players took it as a challenge.”
PSG has already created bigger chances in Ligue 1 than in any of the previous five seasons – with six games to go. “I told you instead of having a player scoring 40 goals, I wanted players who all score a lot.” This is what happened.
Ousmane Dembele, the only scorer of the three goals of the league last season, has 21 in the competition this time around and 29 in general. Bradley Barcola has weighed with 16, Desire Dou marking eight. In the Moneyball aspect, they replaced Mbappe in total.
But the most harmful message this sends from the Mbappe’s point of view is what can be achieved when everyone is putting on protection work as well. It was a point that Luis Enrique tried last season – the most memorable captured in the documentary footage.
“You have to set that example first as a person and as a player going to print,” PSG coach said, asking Mbappe to take his defensive responsibilities seriously, trying to convince him, stressing that Michael Jordan had made him in basketball.
“And following again so fast,” continued Luis Enrique. “Why? Being a leader. Because you think you just have to score goals. Of course, you are a world phenomenon, a high -class player – no doubt about it, but that doesn’t work for me,” he said, ominous.
“A true leader is when you can’t help us with goals … You help us with everything related to defensive tasks,” he added, before summarizing, “If … you put ourselves as an example to print, do you know what we have? A F ***** team car.”
Luis Enrique has it now. She was well illustrated when Dou tracked back to close a villa break during the first match in Paris. In the game in Villa Park, there was some back-to-mourning protection, but there was also a lot of protection from the front to be done.
Mbappe never really understood. Maybe he arrived too quickly to convince the need. Understandably when you pushed Monaco into the title of 18, he won a World Cup while still a young man and then scored a hat-trick in the other final.
Apparently, however, to win the Champions League – and Ballon d’Or who can accompany it – it’s something Mbappe is quite interested. It was one of the reasons to join Europe’s 15-time champions. It is now a matter of making it actually.
For Carlo Ancelotti, it is the latest problem of the first world that rubbed over it, but this is a coach who has made a career to make the parts fit. Even so, getting a team that had just won the Champions League is a management test.
Mbappe itself is sharp enough to evaluate complications. “My arrival changed a lot of things to the team.” Asked about playing more centers despite being a natural back-gol player, he would prefer to conquer Vinicius Junior frequency positions.
It may be that it is the Brazilian who is required to continue to continue, but meanwhile Ancelotti is trying to accommodate the first three last season with Mbappe for the company. Means Jude Bellingham moving deeper, adjusting rodrygo as well.
Against Arsenal, unlike PSG ready -made runners, Madrid were carrying some passengers in defense and dedicated them to them. The first two goals came from Declan Rice’s free blows but efforts to explain the result away have been unconvincing.
Madrid know they are easier to play against now. What looked like a fudge last season, with Bellingham playing between Vinicius and Rodrygo, now looks like a relative template for success, winning them the Champions League and recovering Laliga.
Real Madrid’s initial lining in the Champions League 2024 final
Compare the team that won the trophy in Wembley in June with that well beaten by Arsenal again on the other side of North London. In simple terms, Mbappe has entered Dani Carvajal while others, including Fede Valverde, had to move again.
Has left them vulnerable. Mbappe has still scored goals, many of them. There are some signs of an understanding with Bellingham. If you click it can be beautiful but no guarantee. And yet, because this is Madrid, confidence in a possible return continues.
If this feels fantastic, for Mbappe it is more like an urgent need. His treatment of horror in the match against Alaves on the weekend, to which he was sent, suggests that a learned player bend games with his will, is feeling that pressure on him to give.
It has been 16 years since Zlatan Ibrahimovic left Inter to sign for Barcelona, then the royal champions of Europe, not only to overthrow them, but go to win it. For now, Mbappe is just trying to make the reunification date.
