Paris Saint-Germain – Juventus: The Parisian Pilot Of A New System Is Open To Critique (2-1)

Talk of climate change might not have humbled the Parisian stars, but the end of this contest ought to have done. If the first half merely affirmed the absurd skill of their attack, the second should remind them a new system alone will not take them to the top of European football.

Tactical analysis and match report by Emmanuel Adeyemi-Abere.

All that glitters is not gold: PSG have shot for the stars thanks to the backing of QSI, yet the outcome has been far from stellar. Exemplary was their half hour catastrophic collapse at the hands of Real Madrid, whose old guard defeated the fantastic front three of Kylian Mbappé, Neymar, and Lionel Messi. But could this campaign be different? Romping to five wins from their first six Ligue 1 games in a much classier style has set out their stall to the rest of the continent. Now was the time to deliver.

If the Parisian stars must ensemble on the grand stage, their visitors are in dire need of some stardust. The eternal bridesmaid of Europe, Juventus rolled back the years with the return of a serial Serie A victor to the dugout in the summer of 2021. But Massimiliano Allegri continues to sap away at the bank of goodwill with which he entered the post. Neither able to entertain the masses nor triumph . . .