UEFA Champions League 2019/20: Atalanta vs Paris Saint-Germain – tactical analysis

Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain met in Lisbon to start this season’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. For the French side, this round has always been their nightmare as they have lost five quarterfinals since 2012. Their misfortune even can be traced to the previous millennium. It was back in 1995 when Les Parisiens last enjoyed a Champions League semifinal.

Their curse seemed to continue as Atalanta’s Mario Pašalić scored past former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas in the first half. The scoreline stayed the same until Marquinhos equalised just 26 seconds before the normal time ended. Then, a miracle happened. Paris secured the win with a late goal from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in less than three minutes after the equaliser. Without further ado, this tactical analysis will inform you how the match unfolded.

Lineups

Gian Piero Gasperini opted for the usual 3–4–1–2 system for his team. The trio of Rafael Tolói, Mattia Caldara, and Berat Djimsiti started at the heart of the defence. Upfront, Alejandro ‘Papu’ Gómez provided the support in behind Pašalić and Duván Zapata. La Dea’s bench was filled with players like José Luis Palomino, Luis Muriel, Ruslan Malinovskyi, Jacopo Da Riva, and Timothy Castagne.

Oppositely, Thomas Tuchel went more adventurous with his squad choice. Shape-wise, he chose 4–3–3 as the go-to formation in this game. The most interesting part of this structure is the forward line. Targetman Mauro Icardi was chosen as a right-winger, while Pablo Sarabia started in the opposite flank. The central attacking role then was given to former Barcelona player, Neymar. In the dugout, players like Kylian Mbappé, Leandro Paredes, Sergio Rico, Choupo-Moting, and Julian Draxler had to participate as substitutes.