You don’t get much discussion if you say that Luis Enrique is the best manager in the world. – Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time last season and after defusing Bayern winger Michael Olise, someone who is not easy, is ready for the final this year as well.
Luis Enrique used a subtle tactic that fans believe deliberately neutralized Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise during Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final.
Read: Goal machine Luis Suarez regrets – wants to return
The reigning champions secured advancement to their second Champions League final in two years with a 6-5 aggregate win over Vincent Kompany’s Bayern at the Allianz Arena.
After last week’s captivating 5-4 win at PSG in Paris, fans were eagerly awaiting another brilliant performance from both teams. This time, however, it was a far more controlled match than the first.
Dream start for PSG – dream version of tactics
The Ligue 1 side opened the scoring after just three minutes. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found Ousmane Dembélé in the box, and the Frenchman put the ball safely into the roof of the net behind Manuel Neuer.
Bayern tried – unsuccessfully – to break down PSG’s compact defence. The big-form Olise struggled to get a foothold in the game, despite Nuno Mendes being on a yellow card for most of the match.
Harry Kane scored in injury time in the second half, but it was PSG’s night at Bayern.
Read on The Chief Health Officer: New Barbie doll will help normalize medical equipment for children
This made the tactic work so well
Olise has 21 goals and 30 assists in 49 games this season – but this was not a good night for the 24-year-old. Several fans revealed the subtle tactics PSG used to stop him.
Throughout the game, PSG goalkeeper Matvej Safonov deliberately kicked the ball out of the field at goal kicks. As a result, the away team overloaded the right flank – and thus gained numerical advantage over Olise on the subsequent throw-ins.
One fan explained:
“Safonov had been told to deliberately kick a goal kick towards Olise’s area and hit it hard so that it goes out as a throw-in in the box. Why? Because they can then overload Olise’s side, making it far easier to pressure Olise. This is actually brilliant! Tactics like this must be inspired by American football. Deliberately kicked to a certain position – and players are already ready to swarm. The opponent who receives the ball is caught off guard because he suddenly has a whole bunch of PSG players under pressure,” the fan wrote.
Another added:
“Safonov deliberately kicked every goal kick so that Bayern got a throw-in – but always on Olise’s side. A throw-in on that side forces both teams to overload the right flank and leaves Olise numerically outnumbered and narrower spaces. That was one of the reasons why the Frenchman had a bad game today.
A third supporter wrote:
– The instruction to tell Safonov to kick the ball out for a throw-in every time. We will never fully understand Lucho.
Final opponent ready
Paris Saint-Germain will face Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest on May 30.
