‘Enrique has created a MONSTER in PSG!’ Are Paris Saint-Germain the best in the world? | ESPN FC

0:00 All right, enough Arsenal.

0:01 Let's talk about the other semifinal.

0:04 Jules,

0:06 yeah,

0:05 Paris San getting it done in Munich at the Olympia Stadium.

0:11 Bayern uh losing one nil.

0:12 The goal comes early

0:14 and I'm going to come out and remember we said this before,

0:16 you disagree with me, right?

0:17 I'm sorry just you may remember this differently, but I you said,

0:21 "Well, these two teams could only play this way,

0:23 the way they played in the first leg." And I said actually I think Paris Sanain

0:27 can play a different way and I think they will if if needed in the second leg.

0:32 Yeah.

0:31 And I feel vindicated because in that second half they had 27% possession

0:39 and they looked so comfortable without the ball.

0:42 First leg we saw both teams going for it all the time back

0:46 and forth turning the ball over man for man all over the pitch.

0:49 In the second one I saw a lot of doubling up.

0:51 I saw a lot of defensive help.

0:53 Um, and it's it's not that Luis Eniko was being negative.

0:57 No, no, no.

0:58 He was managing the game and playing to the strengths.

1:01 A strength and a style of play that Paris Sanger man have in their locker,

1:05 which I don't think Bayern have in their locker to be honest.

1:09 Not that they were in the situation where they needed to play that way, but No.

1:12 No.

1:12 Yeah.

1:12 I mean, I think Lucen Ricky has created a monster,

1:15 built a monster of a team that can

1:16 do everything really when needed, that can adapt.

1:19 I mean the game plan that he had for this game was just perfect really.

1:24 There was everything that he asked the players

1:26 to do uh from obviously the doubling up on Oise

1:30 and Diaz with Ruiz and and Joe Neves

1:34 from even the goal kicks that Safenov was taken

1:37 and on purpose hitting them out for a throw

1:40 in behind Oly's back so you could press high

1:43 and push them like that and make it difficult

1:45 for Oz to get any kind of momentum and space.

1:48 It was a genius move.

1:49 Everything they did was just perfect even without Hakeime.

1:53 Uh and obviously scoring early which they which is what they do.

1:57 They did against Chelsea this season.

1:58 They did against Arsenal last season.

2:00 They did against Liverpool last season especially and that's why I'm

2:03 a bit disappointed by the Bayern Munich and Vinnie Company's tactics.

2:08 PSG knew that Bayern would come at them and Bayern came at them far too early.

2:12 You don't need to go and throw yourself like Bayern did so early on because

2:16 all you need is a one two that much space for Grass Kelly across

2:20 for Dembele who on purpose was playing as a right winger and now as the force

2:23 nine at the start of the game tonight exactly for that and he worked

2:28 well you're leaving out Warren Zer Emery.

2:32 Yeah

2:31 creating the space for him but with with running

2:34 from all the way from right back across on that.

2:37 Yeah.

2:37 Yeah.

2:37 Yeah.

2:38 Uh that was always the plan was for the ball on the left, the two right players.

2:42 So Dembele and Zeny or the ball on the right

2:44 and the two left players to go in like that.

2:47 But Dembele finds the found the space for himself.

2:49 You see he stops his run, takes a step back, hit it first time.

2:53 It was just the goal that they drawn up on the tactical board before the game.

2:56 That's exactly what happened.

2:57 And I'm I thought Bayern were far too naive the way they started this game.

3:00 You also left out Fabian Ruiz's pass to cue this all.

3:03 And I No, I said the one two.

3:05 Yeah.

3:05 Okay.

3:05 But but but but I want to just a moment Fab Ree because you may

3:09 not be aware of this because you were there whereas I was watching Sky Italia.

3:12 They had Fa Gulam on and he talked about the relationship between Fabian

3:16 Ruiz and Luis Enrique and he says when they were teammates at Napoli,

3:19 Luis Enrique was coaching the Spanish national team.

3:21 He's like well he doesn't like me at all.

3:24 He didn't pick him up for the World Cup.

3:26 Yeah.

3:28 And like I I'll probably never be able to play for him.

3:31 And then in this game, despite Fabian Re's missing time,

3:34 there was all the stuff with his injury to put your faith in him.

3:36 Fabin Ree being I thought he had a monster game.

3:39 I mean, you don't want to single and one individual out.

3:42 Um, but I thought he was big and that also

3:44 speaks to Louis Syndic putting his trust bygones be bygones.

3:49 Um,

3:49 with Bayern, other than maybe not attacking as intensely

3:54 as they did early on, what could they have,

3:56 what would you have done differently?

3:57 What do you think company wishes he could have done

4:02 differently?

4:01 For me, Davy should have started this game every day instead of Stanis.

4:05 I Stanis, I understand why he's there.

4:08 Obviously, uh especially in your buildup and everything,

4:11 but I I I think you lose a lot of what Davis can bring you.

4:15 And by the way, we saw when Davis came on, he gives the assist to Kane,

4:18 but even before that, there was more threat.

4:21 you the PSG defense had to be a bit more on their toes because he's so

4:24 unpredict unpredictable because he's a winger really playing

4:27 at left back whereas Stanisic on that you know

4:29 on that left hand side it was just there was there was nothing coming from him

4:34 anyway so I was disappointed that David didn't

4:36 start and then didn't come on earlier to be

4:38 fair and then in a team that lacks so much creativity where Musella was not good

4:42 enough not just on the the shot that he had on the edge of the box

4:45 that you know is a half chance

4:47 that probably could have done better or should have

4:49 done better But overall it was not the 10 that you needed for a game like this.

4:53 Maybe bring on Carl before, maybe bring on Nikico Jackson before,

4:56 but just so just change something because like you said PSG was so comfortable.

5:00 I think Sergey obviously this was a game.

5:02 We don't have the real Mussa yet.

5:04 We will get the real Musa at some point.

5:06 Um but we're going to break this down

5:07 a little bit further on Gavin Joel's podcast.

5:08 Also talk about that Nuno Mendes handball.

5:11 Um because I think that is one company underscored that after

5:15 the game that is something that that went against Bayern.

5:19 All right, Jules.

5:19 Hey, we're both big Vincent Company fans.

5:24 Vincent Company's showing that you can

5:26 be successful and intelligent without being weird.

5:31 Um, Luis Erique doesn't have that last quality, but you know,

5:34 he is a genius and we tolerate it with genius.

5:36 Andy Warhol was unusual, too.

5:39 Absolutely.

5:38 Um, but sorry, he didn't blame the officiating,

5:44 but he did raise a point that it's fine margins.

5:47 He brought up the Alonso Davies hand ball from the first leg.

5:50 I think we're both in agreement.

5:51 That's a penalty.

5:52 Those you're applying the rules like, you know,

5:56 by then the Nuno Mendes one and let's get the Jos one out of it.

6:02 Yeah, this will always get me.

6:03 I know.

6:04 I hope they never become teammates.

6:05 Um, let's just explain why that is not a punishable handball.

6:14 Yeah, the rule is very clear.

6:15 Whether you like it or not,

6:16 it's very clear if a teammate clears the ball away from his own goal.

6:21 So the ball is not can't go in the in his in the goal as an own goal.

6:25 I mean, so it will go out anywhere else on the pitch,

6:28 but it's the arm of uh one of his teammates.

6:32 In this case, Vitinia cleared the ball

6:34 on Wednesday like towards the Bayern half,

6:38 but he hit Joves's arm who were really raised because he

6:41 didn't expect the ball to come his way and that quickly.

6:44 then you don't give a penalty.

6:45 I know it's hand ball in the box.

6:46 We can all see it.

6:48 Clearly the Bayern players and and staff didn't know the rules.

6:51 Funnily enough, the people next to me who were Germans uh

6:54 knew the rules and said straight away, it's not a pen.

6:56 You don't you know those pens are not they're not pens

6:58 because it's a clearance from one teammate to not towards another.

7:03 Um so that's the rule.

7:04 I I I've got no issue with this rule to be fair.

7:07 It's um it is it is something where the referee still has

7:10 a certain amount of discretion because there's

7:12 things that they have to judge you.

7:14 you have to judge is it a clearance?

7:15 Is it like a a tackle attempt?

7:17 Is there could the ball be going somewhere else?

7:19 In this case, obviously not because it's going straight into the air, right?

7:24 Um

7:24 so there there's a lot of things to evaluate, but I think that one was

7:29 pretty and this one was simple for the referee to say.

7:31 Yeah.

7:31 Yeah.

7:32 And it was really quick to be fair.

7:33 The other one was a Nuno Mendes.

7:34 I think it was about half an hour in.

7:36 Yeah.

7:36 Um, this is more complicated because Duno Mendesh has already been booked.

7:43 An intentional hand ball is a second booking.

7:47 Um, he's I think just inside his own half

7:50 and his arm just comes out and he blocks the ball.

7:53 I don't know where the ball would have gone.

7:55 I don't know was an instinctive gesture or or whatever.

7:58 So, this wasn't given because um Conrad Lyr,

8:03 who was running with the ball kind of into um into New Menz's area,

8:08 he was a judged to have handled the ball.

8:13 Yeah.

8:12 To to get it under control.

8:15 Yeah.

8:17 Um there's an angle because his arm is down

8:19 by his side and he's kind of leaning forward.

8:21 It looks as if the ball comes off his arm.

8:23 There's another angle which makes it extremely obvious.

8:26 The ball comes off his uh his leg.

8:29 I think his chest as well and then never hits his arm.

8:33 Um now the referee could not have seen this.

8:36 There's no possible way.

8:37 No, the linesman gave it to him.

8:39 I think it's either the linesman or the fourth official behind the benches.

8:43 I could he he kept doing the thumbs up

8:45 and he gave the thumbs up.

8:47 Um there was some speculation I think from company afterwards saying well he

8:52 gave the thought he was somebody reminded

8:53 him that Mendes had already been booked.

8:55 You didn't want to send him off.

8:56 No it wasn't that.

8:57 I don't think it was that.

8:58 I but like the some of the footage I saw looked like to me it looked like Yeah.

9:05 Lyma controls the ball first with his some

9:07 part of his body either the thigh or the it's definitely the thigh first one.

9:11 look like to me that maybe he touches his arm

9:15 and without the arm he doesn't control the ball.

9:17 Certainly from that one angle where you say

9:18 it looks like he touches with his arm.

9:20 The the other angle a bit like the Hanko penalty in the Atléico Arsenal,

9:25 it seems that depending on the angle that you're looking at.

9:28 Um but the the what I would just say is the linesman is really well positioned.

9:32 He's literally because that happens just in front

9:34 of the bench where the liner is.

9:36 is, but he is in line and Limer's arm is blocking where the ball hits his body.

9:41 Right.

9:42 Um, like I think this is one thing where if this happens at the World Cup,

9:45 we will have VR for this.

9:47 Yeah.

9:47 No.

9:47 Yeah.

9:48 Um, and and going forward we we will.

9:51 If I were Bayern, I would definitely be annoyed.

9:54 But I would also realize and and I would

9:56 ask the question about Ja Pinando as well, the referee.

10:00 He's like, "If you're not, yeah,

10:01 they have no problem with you getting help

10:03 from the fourth official or the assistant referee,

10:05 but they have to be certain of what they're actually seeing

10:09 um before they step in." And we'll never know.

10:13 But obviously losing a guy like Nuno Mendes going down to 10 men, I think,

10:17 oh yeah, that would have

10:18 I think the arithmetic all changes.

10:20 It becomes a lot harder if you're going to have 27% possession second half,

10:24 10 men, it becomes it becomes a different game.

10:26 So I get that.

10:27 But you know, I Those are the rubs.

10:31 Um, one guy who's kind of disappeared from Penman between

10:35 now and the season and I just kind of want

10:37 to we talked about the title race with Laws

10:42 and obviously Lon's drawing at the weekend took it away.

10:46 Um, Arsenal have a much more intense title

10:48 race even though if you look at the gap

10:50 in points it doesn't necessarily feel that way

10:54 but obviously City have the game in hand.

10:57 Yeah.

10:57 Although Lons have the headto-head.

10:58 It's just that Bay Sanain are a much better team than

11:01 Lon's Arsenal are not a much better team than Manchester City.

11:04 And that's why I think psychologically we we look at this.

11:07 Um do you think given what we've seen so

11:10 far that he has to put out a real lineup

11:13 uh like and play some of his best men

11:15 in the next games just to wrap up the league, get it out of the way, right?

11:18 You're not going to rest people for three weeks.

11:21 No, but I think if they beat Bryce this weekend, it's pretty much done.

11:24 They'll be six points clear with two games to go.

11:26 uh you know even even if one of them is against loans

11:29 you you say that 6.21 which one to go.

11:31 But one is the headto-head with Lawrence and the one after that is

11:34 the derby and derby's I mean it can happen in a derby, right?

11:37 The ongoal difference which there's still a gap

11:39 between PSG and Lawrence on goal difference.

11:41 So unless they beating they they they are beaten like

11:44 three or four nil by Lawrence which is I guess how big is the

11:48 I think it's plus five or six.

11:50 Um but I think no I think we'll see certainly this weekend rotation

11:54 um you know for the for the game at the weekend and a lot

11:58 of the players who didn't play much uh against Bayern for example um

12:04 so team very similar to the one that drew with Lauron but yeah it's

12:07 always risky I think to balance the two competition when you get

12:10 to that to that stage now to certain extent different because he almost has

12:14 to play the strongest team in the league between now and the end

12:17 of the season before then thinking about the the final all um for Lu Enrique.

12:21 I think they could be a bit of a mix this weekend and then certainly

12:24 for the Law game that's the one not to lose and then after that it be

12:29 um final point and we're going to be asking

12:31 this again and again and again but what strikes you about

12:34 this team I believe and you'll correct me because I'm

12:37 sure I'll get this wrong but I think Marinos is 31.

12:40 Uh Dembele is 28.

12:43 Yeah.

12:43 Um Fabin Ree is 30.

12:47 Yeah.

12:47 Everybody else has a lot of years ahead of him, right?

12:50 Yeah.

12:51 Yeah.

12:52 Um so when you think obviously you start thinking succession

12:55 for Marinos and again projecting forward he's had all season with Zabari.

13:01 He you'll be forming an opinion

13:03 of whether Zabari can be Marinos's long-term heir.

13:07 Fabin Ree I think he has it in house

13:10 and I mean Jerry Emry is a different profile but

13:14 yeah J Emry has to he has to be in the starting 11.

13:16 I it's just so hard to keep him out, right?

13:20 Um and Dembele like you got another four or five years here, right?

13:23 And you also have Bradley Barcola, Kenyan Lee, uh whatever else.

13:27 But for me, one question is the goalkeeper because he had

13:33 all season long to look at Safenov last year and said,

13:36 "H, you know, I better bring somebody else in." Right.

13:41 He didn't start Safenov in the first half of this season.

13:44 No.

13:44 Yeah.

13:46 Is what what's your take?

13:49 Is Safarov a viable long-term option?

13:52 Should he reopen it and say, "Hey, Shiovalier,

13:55 I know the wheels came off, but you're still young.

13:57 Let's have an open competition between you and Sophenov."

14:00 I think Shalier would go in the summer, I think.

14:02 And to be fair, he's going to write him off after just like that.

14:04 I think so.

14:05 Yeah.

14:05 And I think you can probably recoup

14:07 quite a good amount because he's still young, he's still highly rated.

14:11 They they I think there will be a market for him somewhere.

14:14 Um and then it depends where you want to go after that.

14:17 If you go what would you do?

14:18 Do you think I mean do you feel

14:19 good about Safenov being your goalkeeper next season?

14:23 I mean right now so far in the semi-final

14:26 quarterfinal and last 16 he's been he's been perfect.

14:29 You know there's they have Do you think this is his level?

14:31 Yeah.

14:32 Is it Donaruma?

14:33 No.

14:33 Will he ever be?

14:34 No.

14:34 That's for sure.

14:35 you have an Italian keeper ready to step in and

14:37 they've got high hopes in him although he's still very very young but so

14:42 no he's not he's not he's not in the top five goalkeepers in the world

14:46 but he's he has done well he has done the job that he had

14:48 to do in those games what what more can you ask of him nothing really and

14:52 let's see in the final but

14:54 yeah know and for me again this is another question we'll be asking I'll just

14:58 give you a quick preview probably San are

15:00 better this year than they were last year I agree

15:03 and because I Think what some people forget a little bit you

15:06 said Safenov has done the job has done what was asked of him.

15:10 Donaruma I thought with some of those saves

15:12 in the knockouts went beyond what was asked of him.

15:16 I mean talk five fine margins he made saves that other keepers don't make.

15:20 Yeah absolutely saf hasn't been asked to do that and parano

15:23 and I think that might be the difference there.

15:26 Yeah I think you're right.

15:26 They're better.

15:27 I mean Kelly Skelly yesterday best player in the world

15:29 for me right now there's nobody better than him.

15:31 He was unplayable.

15:32 Patro the same against Kane and they are

15:35 better than they were at this stage last season.

15:37 Even even if they were very good last

15:38 season at this stage I think Dembele is better

15:41 than he was last season at this stage.

15:42 I think Dway is better than and I think you can look player by player.

15:46 Dembele won the balandor by yeah saying he's better this season

15:50 but he's certainly not among the favorites of the balandor which is crazy.

15:53 I mean maybe he will is he is no but I'm saying maybe he will if he wins the

15:57 well if he wins the champions league I think he but but just you

16:00 know I'm just putting this in context right the mele wins the balandor last

16:03 season then you say he's even better this year but I think is

16:07 the best player in the world that's I mean that tells you where they are

16:10 yeah absolutely I think they're an incredible team