I love the way PSG play. They have been my favourite team to watch this season.
Their passing is amazing. I love the way their defenders are so comfortable on the ball. Maxwell is tremendous at LB. I miss David Luiz. Chelsea shouldn't have sold him. Veratti is a class act. Everyone is comfortable on the ball. So many players capable of making defense splitting passes. Then Ibrahimovic dropping deep .... PSG can create overloads in every area of the pitch.
Great individualism in Ibra, Di Maria and Lucas too. Great trickery. Capable of fooling any defender. Super pace out wide. Then Cavani. Matuidi (one of best box-to-box mids in world). So much talent.
PSG have learned so much from the mistakes made by (financial) predecessors like Chelsea and Man City. They have done a much better job of building a true team. Togetherness with attractive play.
I think PSG are well capable of knocking off Barcelona or Bayern.
I'm pretty chuffed that we have qualified for the CL Semis for the first time ever. PSG a terrific squad, but I think they lost because they were not (surprisingly to me) able to dominate the midfield. City were able to win back the ball after surrendering possession, and not fielding Yaya was key in that regard.
Injuries and suspensions hurt PSG. They lost their first choice midfield. Veratti due to injury. Matuidi due to suspension. Motta had to go off injured in first half. PSG didn't have the depth to cope with those losses. They have one of the best midfields in Europe when those guys are together but their replacements were short of the quality PSG needed to boss the game.
I thought PSG should have changed their tactics and been more direct without that midfield quality but they tried to play the same way. I thought that played into Man City's hands because PSG no longer had the quality to patiently and methodically pick their way through Man City's defense. Made it comfortable for Man City to play on the counter attack.
Anyway, I am disappointed PSG are out. I love their team.
Happy to see an English team in the semi-finals though.
Losing Verratti and Matuidi, and then Motta, was devastating to PSG, no doubt, but injuries are part of the equation of any match. Man City has been devastated by injuries this season, so I'm well aware of their importance, but at the end of the day, either you cope or you don't. PSG, great squad though they are, weren't able to in this tie, just as City have laid an egg in the EPL this season.
Still very worried that Pool will win the EL, although they still have to best BVB and then, potentially, Sevilla, who won't wish to surrender their double crown easily. City needs to secure third spot in the league, which means defeating Arsenal in our upcoming fixture.
Will Blanc be sacked at season's end? Given their domestic dominance, plus another CL quarter-final run, I think he deserves another year, even though I cannot stand the guy...