Yesterday night, on the 30th of May, Paris Saint-Germain, better known as PSG, took home their second consecutive Champions League title, doing so by beating the current Premier League champions, Arsenal.
Their pre-game setup and team line-ups
It was evident that the style of play and the rhythm of the game were determined an hour before the kick-off whistle. PSG lined up in the same way they had in the semi-finals against Bayern Munich, a match that ended in a nine-goal thriller. They played a very aggressive and intensive style of football, which helped break down the German defence.
On the other hand, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta had anticipated that this style of play might reoccur in the final against his side. Hence, he lined up his team with mostly defensive-minded players, such as Lewis-Skelly playing in midfield in a more defensive role, while the back four was composed almost entirely of centre-backs, with Piero Hincapié and Cristian Mosquera operating as full-backs.
As for PSG, Luis Enrique’s side relied on pressing high up Arsenal’s block by utilising players such as Dembélé and Kvaratskhelia, whose aim was to target Arsenal’s vulnerable full-backs. This proved to be an excellent decision, as Kvaratskhelia later won a penalty against Mosquera.
Throughout the opening five minutes of the final, it seemed that Arsenal’s tactics and style of play were not what critics, and consequently PSG, had anticipated. They started with full momentum, resulting in them scoring and taking the lead within the first six minutes of the game.
In recent history (since 2018), the team that scores first in a Champions League final is usually the only team to score and ultimately becomes the winner. It seemed that PSG had a long way to go, leaving fans discouraged from the outset.
“The curse of the first goal” appeared to be working in Arsenal’s favour until the 65th minute, when PSG capitalised from the penalty spot and equalised. While the score remained 1-0 until that point, the mechanics behind the game were far more intricate.
More specifically, during the hour of football played between the two goals, Mikel Arteta’s side ensured that all eleven players remained behind the ball defensively. In the first half, PSG enjoyed 77% possession and completed more than four times as many accurate passes as Arsenal. This strategy initially worked in Arsenal’s favour, as PSG managed only 0.23 expected goals from six shots, with just one on target.
So how on earth did PSG pull it off?
Luis Enrique noticed a flaw in Arsenal’s line-up: the full-backs. Throughout the second half, there was one particular match-up that determined the game: Kvaratskhelia versus Mosquera.
Early in the second half, Mosquera received a yellow card, which allowed Kvaratskhelia to play more aggressively with the ball, knowing that Mosquera had to be more conservative in his challenges. Ironically, after Kvaratskhelia successfully dribbled past Mosquera inside the penalty area, he was eventually brought down by the Spaniard, who surprisingly avoided receiving a second yellow card.
Overall, Arsenal finished the game with just 25% possession, making them the team with the lowest share of possession in a Champions League final since 2004.
Was this game worth watching?
When is any final not worth watching?
This one, however, stood out to fans all over the globe because it truly was a game of cat and mouse: witty, vengeful, and cut-throat.
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