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Original source: Mundo Maldini
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The game's pivotal decision wasn't made with the ball in play, but the moment Luis Enrique chose to retreat and wait. Grasping that directive explains the result more accurately than any possession statistic.
Luis Enrique dropped PSG's press after 2-0 lead, hunting Real Sociedad on the counter
Match data reveals a deliberate and precisely timed tactical shift: the moment PSG scored their second goal, Luis Enrique ordered his team to drop their high press and cede possession, banking on the pace of Mbappé and Dembélé in transition. PPDA metrics — which measure pressing intensity — indicate that Real Sociedad maintained a high press for longer periods, but suffered from excessive gaps between lines, a structural vulnerability PSG exploited clinically. The Parisian outfit commanded 60% of possession and made 19 entries into the opposition penalty area, compared to Real's 13, who were afforded only one sustained possession lasting over 45 seconds.
This tactical reading prompts a deeper reflection on the current identity of PSG. The squad that saw the departures of Messi, Neymar, and Verratti is no longer the star-studded ensemble that once justified the claim that Paris fielded the world's best players; today, that argument hinges solely on Mbappé and, in his role, Dembélé. What this transformation ultimately reveals is that Luis Enrique operates with greater ease, precisely because the reduction of egos grants him the coaching authority that was structurally unachievable with Messi and Neymar.
"After the second goal, he suddenly tells the team: 'Lads, we're going to stop pressing to let Real attack, because we're going to hit them on the counter with the speed of Mbappé and Dembélé.'"
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Summarised from Mundo Maldini · 1:16:21. All credit belongs to the original creators. Streamed.News summarises publicly available video content.
