How Messi and co’s lack of energy creates a ‘pressing’ problem in PSG vs Lille – tactical analysis

The Friday night lights shone brightly in Paris as the Ligue 1 champions took centre stage. Most would assume this is referencing Paris Saint Germain, but Lille are the one with gold around their badge. For the first time in nearly a decade, PSG welcomed the champions of France as challengers. Concerning, PSG will always be the hottest ticket in town, but it is nice every once in a while to see the balance of power shift, regardless of how long it shall last.

Coming into this game many might have expected a whitewash with PSG winning all but two games so far this season and Lille not living up to their championship status for a multitude of reasons, but it has not been all plain sailing for Pochettino’s men in the capital. With the addition of his fellow countryman Lionel Messi from Barcelona, belief gathered, thinking PSG can go all the way in Europe with their already star-studded line-up and while results have been positive, performance has not been. PSG have won two out of three games in the UEFA Champions League, beating Manchester City and Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig but Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe have not shown the attacking cohesion we have all been waiting for and in doing so creating major team problems.

In this tactical analysis, I will showcase Lille’s brilliant defensive shape and the intricacies that were involved, which helped nullify Paris Saint Germain in the first half. I will also cover PSG’s problems out of possession and how their way of resolving them is detrimental. Last, I will go over how PSG could recover in the second half thanks to changes in tactics.

Line-up

PSG made use of a 4-3-3 with some alterations from their last appearance as Gianluigi Donnarumma started in goal with a back four of Thilo Kehrer, Juan Bernat, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe. In midfield, Danilo Pereira, Georginio Wijnaldum and Idrissa Gueye formed a front three, with Neymar, Lionel Messi and Ángel di María as PSG’s front three.

For Lille, their standard 4-4-2 was utilised with Ivo Grbić in goal. In defence, Mehmet Zeki Çelik at right-back, José Fonte and Tiago Djaló at centre-back with Reinildo Mandava. In midfield, Xeka and Renato Sanches played in centre-midfield with Nanitamo Ikone and Jonathan Bamba as wingers. Up front lies Burak Yılmaz and Jonathan David.

Lille’s defensive structure 

One of the key components to Gaultier’s league winning campaign last season was his defensive shape when out of possession and this theme led Lille into good stead within the first half of the match. Under Jocelyn Gourvennec, Lille utilised a rigged 4-4-2 medium/high structure. This system was effective because of the spacing and positioning of Lille’s players. The visitors understood PSG wanted to play vertically through the thirds and to combat this, Lille allowed PSG’s centre-back time and space to and denied central passes into PSG’s midfield three. Lille’s pressing front two would be close to each other and position themselves in-between Danilo Pereira, which eliminates him as a forward passing option. Lille’s midfield was very narrow and in-result of this PSG could not find a pass-through to Georginio Wijnaldum and Idrissa Gueye because of this portion of their field being crowded out.

Because of Lille’s defensive stubbiness, they forced PSG to play wide to their fullbacks and play in wide areas. When the ball moves into these zones, PSG was unsuccessful because of Lille’s winger immediately pressing the fullback in possession; simultaneously having the opposition winger within his cover shadow, which denies him as a viable support option. PSG did well to recycle play and move the ball laterally, go restart play and find openings on the other side of the field.