Arsenal will be confronted with Paris Saint-Germain in the semi-final of the Champions League, but the French giants will have plans to avenge their recent defeat at the Emirates
Luis Enrique comes up with a plan to ensure that Paris Saint-Germain gets the upper hand from Arsenal in their semi-final collision of the Champions League. And the Spanish tactician hopes to learn from past mistakes after Les Parisiens has already fallen for the Gunners this season.
For the first time since 2009, Arsenal has achieved the last four of the European elite tournament after a thunderous 5-1 total victory over Real Madrid. They have already shown that they are taking on PSG, after they had achieved a 2-0 victory when they were confronted in the competition phase earlier this season.
The team of Mikel Arteta will ride high on confidence after their impressive defeat of reigning champions Real, with Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli-statutory goals in a 2-1 win. Arsenal carried out their strategy flawlessly and dominated a large part of the competition despite an early penalty -Miss from Saka.
Lucas Vazquez – who really leaded on Wednesday – had a less flattering perspective on the performance of Arsenal. And it seemed to be a criticism of the tactics of the Gunners trying to defend a 3-0 lead on the first leg.
“It's a difficult moment. I think we tried it today. It was a complicated competition,” he told Movistar+ (via Football.London). “We didn't want all the opportunities we wanted. We did not forgot the goal. There were interruptions [but] It didn't happen.
“Maybe we missed more clarity. More patience. They came to defend their role. In the first half they did almost nothing. In the second, with the team, they found the victory.”
The humility of PSG manager Enrique after the humiliation of his team in North Londs six months earlier was in grim for that summary. After a competition where Saka and Kai Havertz made the difference for the men of Arteta, Enrique did not chop words while he addressed the mountain with his team to measure tactically.
“I think they are one of the best teams in Europe right now,” he told journalists after defeat at the Emirates Stadium. “With the ball they are a team that is very close to the top European level, and without the ball they are also very good.
“I would even say that they are one of the best teams in the world without the ball. They are a team with a real identity. We are similar but also have different playing styles.”
Enrique praised Arsenal because he was' much better in terms of intensity. In terms of pressure they won every duel '. He also analyzed PSG's shortcomings and noted: “Our defenders did not succeed in anticipating their attackers”, recognizing the effectiveness of Arsenal's high -pressure game.
The boss of the ex-Barcelona did not even bring the defeat the end of their rivalry and predicted that his analysis would not be “not the same if we play each other again throughout the season.” And in what looks like a fate of fate, the two clubs will indeed lock horns again – this time on an even larger stage over two semi -final legs.
Arsenal will have to do it without Oattz for both feet, since he has since been excluded for the rest of the season. Fortunately, Saka is again in the form that has scored twice in five trips since his comeback of an injury of three months.
Arteta's side – who organize the first stage, just as they did against Real – will enjoy a six -day tranquility before that collision thanks to the FA Cup obligations of Crystal Palace. The situation is very different for PSG, which are confronted with a debilitating schedule of three games in seven days when they return to London.
Graduated Academy Arteta in Barcelona succeeded in outsmarting his old friend and mentor Enrique when they first faced each other as managers. The modest approach to the PSG boss to demand more from his own team is perhaps the key to arranging scores when they go back to the capital of England on 29 April.