Woosh, an absolute day-light robbery happened there! It could have been 5-1 and we wouldn’t have complained!
Seriously, it’s nice for once to be on that side of the fence. Usually, we dominate and sometimes, get robbed, and that is infuriating.
PSG were good, but not that good. Our lads on the other hand did everything they could to hand over possession as quickly as possible. Somehow, everyone seemed tired, or out of tune*. That of course, played into the opposition’s hands, and they are good once they possess the ball.
But the tie is far from done of course. Another sluggish display like that one, and we are out, Anfield or not. But of course, there won’t be another sluggish display like that, will there?
.* Apart from Alli of course. What a game he had!!!
Honestly, I just think those two things are incredibly difficult to uncouple.
Back at the height of the Federer vs Nadal rivalry I knew lots of Federer fans who were confused by Fed’s struggles against him and the unusual number of “enforced errors” he tended to make when playing him. They seemed unable (unwilling) to connect the dots that when facing that level of indefatigable intensity you are backed into a corner where you push the limits and make mistakes where you otherwise wouldnt if you werent facing someone you thought would find a way to retrieve the ball if you just put your normal amount into the supposed winning shot. The result is Fed blasting a bunch of winners long as he is forced into minimizing the margin of error he puts on those shots. That’s a big part in why so much of our passing looked sloppy.
We did play into it a bit. I watched them transform to what they are today after the Arsenal game. Even while acknowledging how good their press was on the day, it was exaggerated by our own failures, and the initial game plan to cede possession…
Not to digress, the game reminded me of what we miss in an elite controller like Zubimendi…
I understand where you are coming from, and I broadly agree. But there is struggling while being pressured by a more aggressive press than we’re used to, and struggling under no pressure at all. We did both last night.
Unless the press is kettling our heads to the extent that we can’t pass the ball even when it isn’t there. Which I can understand. But I still think Ryan Gravenberch shouldn’t be passing the ball straight out of play with no-one within 5 yards of him.
Even when you are under no physical pressure in those situations you are still effectively under pressure due to the feeling you need to take advantage of this lack of pressure to make something happen right now. I think that is why we pumped the ball aimlessly so quickly so often. We had so little quality possession that as soon as we had it and a tiny bit of time we wanted to get it forward quickly into an area where we could hurt them.
To a degree managing that is the difference between good players and elite players, but its also not reasonable to think our players would adapt seamlessly to such a novel challenge as PSG posed last night, especially with as well as they did it. That is why next weeks return leg is so fascinating to me.
Campos is used to getting his way in ligue 1 but he should have listened to a French superstar who plays for Liverpool (Konate), his explanation/response was accepted by l’Equipe Team which stopped the hysterical outbursts from all French media clutching at straws imo
They will face a different LFC at Anfield with the wind beneath our wings from the scouse tornado, it will be tough but but no pain no gain.
I expect the Anfield leg to be very different. Firstly, it is far harder to play an energetic high press in an away match than at home. It is also going to weigh on the back of their minds that they conceded on a counter that broke the press and gave up a goal on the only shot on goal in the whole match. The other factor is simple - they didn’t score with 27 shots, and they need a goal to get back in the tie.
That isn’t to say it is a free hit, but the Anfield leg will be very difficult mentally for PSG, along a couple of dimensions.
The mountain they have is nothing like we had against Barca, but one thing we had going for us even then was a battle testedness. Luis Enrique has that, but his players dont. Not individually and certainly not together. And what players he does have who have experienced a big testing situation their experience is mostly one of humiliating collapse.
One goal by us will make things incredibly difficult for them. An early goal for them might put even more weight on their shoulders.
There is also a real mental difference between that kind of mountain, and just a tough tactical challenge. Against Barca, the tie was done. A team doesn’t come back from a 3-0 deficit, it just doesn’t happen. It becomes a free hit. Players look at each other and just say, ‘let’s go out and play, see what happens’. The pressure is gone.
With a 1 goal deficit after a brutal robbery like that, PSG players will feel intense pressure. Liverpool players will feel pressure too of course, but the situation is very fragile for PSG.
Plus, Liverpool players will turn over their shoulder and see Alisson. PSG players will see Donnarumma. 27 shots and 0 goals versus 1 shot, 1 goal. That goal wasn’t even his fault, but it hits confidence. There were about 3 goals PSG didn’t score that were not even Becker’s fault, he just saved/stopped them anyway, between shots and some of the lethal crosses he snuffed out
A fantastic result yes, but you can’t tell me that was a good performance by us and can you categorically say that you weren’t shouting at the TV when we kept playing poor pass after poor pass or couldn’t string 3 passes together.
Yes, defensively we mostly kept them at arms length, especially as the game wore on, but the brilliant win was down to Ali being superhuman on the night.
However, what you cannot fault is the effort and never say die attitude of the players.
Although I loved the finger tip save from the Doue shot, it was 2 of what would be classed as routine saves that shows the difference.
The one where their player hit one towards the corner and it bounced in front of Ali and he not only saved it but kept hold of the ball with their player ready to pounce on any rebound.
The 2nd one was the low cross, late on in the game, from our left where he dived low and got a strong arm and nocked it well outside the danger zone.
I thought Ibou and Virg had the odd positioning mistake but otherwise were imperious, Virg won every duel, from what I saw, against both Dembele and Kravatshelia and I think Ibou did the same.
That was my biggest disappointment as we never had a clue how to beat their press and just resorted to launching it, which until Nunez came on, didn’t reap any rewards.
They did struggle against Nunez with him being a bigger and pacier target man.
If we could have kept better possession, I felt that PSG were there for the taking as they looked a bit iffy defending.
No ended up nodding off actually.
I was very lucky to see the goal, must have dribbled on myself at that moment, gave a quick whoop! and started laughing.
I then texted my son ‘I bet you nodded off’ he replied a hour later, confirming my suspicion, going on about smash and grab or something pretending hé had seen it.
