The shape of PSG collapsed, with and without the ball. City changed the game and cost them – The Athletic

By this stage, everyone knew the drills with Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi know it well. Opponent managers and players know the maneuver. And Mauricio Pochettino understands that drill very well he seems tempted to leave the Ligue 1 leaders 11 points for a bad Manchester United team.

PSG’s three fronts offered nothing without possession in their 2-1 loss first City of Manchester last night, and in the end, it cost them. They left with it in the reverse match in September, when Man City dominated at the Parc des Princes but lost 2-0. Here, Pep Guardiola’s army deserves to win.

The annoying thing about PSG is that they start games by tricking you into thinking things have changed. For the first few minutes at the Etihad they looked tight and compact, with Messi and Neymar presumably instructed to defend inside, stopping Rodri from taking easy passes but leaving full-backs idle – Kyle Walker, below, has felt his original freedom.

But by the end of the first half, PSG’s game collapsed, with the ball as well as without.