TACTICAL ANALYSIS: PSG 2-0 BORUSSIA DORTMUND | CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Let’s analyze how PSG beat Borussia Dortmund with a great high press, alternatives in the 4-3-3 against a German team that surprised playing with a back 5. We start with the press designed by Luis Enrique that hadn’t worked against Nice, but it did on this first day of the Champions League, man-marking all over the field.
Unable to build-up comfortably, Dortmund had to defend the entire game. 5-3-2 for the first time this season, with PSG in 4-3-3 with the central midfielders very high and the wingers giving width.
When you switch from a back 4 to a back 5, it’s common to have problems in the gap between wing-back and center-back. Mbappé took advantage of it, attacking the space from the start of the game or generating superiorities overloading with left-back, central midfielder, winger and forward.
Starting from that area they scored the second goal, 3v2 on the wing switching the play to the other side, scoring a great goal Achraf with a top combination with Vitinha.
The other way for PSG to attack was with Vitinha open on the left wing and with Mbappé moving inside, playing as a forward, while Dembélé remained open on the right.
This allows Mbappé to drop down to receive in the central channel, finding spaces between the lines, as in this play in which PSG breaks the defensive block with 1 pass.
In the first goal with Dembélé giving width, nice combination with Achraf, and Mbappé runs into the box from the position we mentioned previously to win a penalty.
PSG took a big risk in the defensive transition, with Borussia Dortmund having several counterattacks in numerical superiority, in which they lacked good decision-making to score at least 1 goal, being most of these attacking transitions in the first half.
Good victory for PSG against Borussia Dortmund who had many problems with the new shape. Luis Enrique’s team will have to improve in the defensive transition, if they don’t want to get into trouble in the group stage of the Champions League.
