At the coffee machine this Thursday morning, the day after PSG’s new exit from the road in the knockout stages of the Champions League, there was a debate. Who made the biggest blunder on the first goal conceded by Paris? Description of the action: After an exchange with Fabian Ruiz, El Chadaille Bitshiabu finds himself on the left side outside the box. He has time to clear but faced with the pressing of Thomas Müller who goes up on him, he chooses a hook which brings him back to his area and continues with a pass in the direction of Verratti, ten meters at the edge of the area. The Italian is facing the goal and finds himself caught in a vice with Leon Goretzka behind his back and Thomas Müller who continued his pressing. He also chooses to dribble but loses the ball. Thomas Müller passes to Leon Goretzka who shifts Éric Choupo-Moting alone to the far post. Aim.
Remember that at this time, we are playing the 61st minute and that PSG must score two goals to hope to go at least to extra time. In other words, this goal has sealed all his ambitions.
“They are both responsible”
So who is to blame ? In his post-match conference, coach Christophe Galtier had an opinion, quite clear-cut but hardly shared: “We had a very big situation after pressing. Bayern had a comparable situation and they scored. It’s a mistake of youth and game analysis. We weren’t able to get out of this pressure. From the moment Bayern scored, we understood that it was going to be difficult. »
So follow his gaze. When he speaks of “youthful mistake” the fault in his eyes lies with El Chadaille Bitshiabu. Admittedly, his pass was hazardous but the kid is not yet 18 years old. He was playing his first Champions League game and he didn’t come on until the break, just 16 minutes before the goal. A baptism he will not soon forget. It’s tough to put all the blame on him.
The error of youth, however, cannot be put on that of Marco Verratti. His fault is however heavy with consequences too. Why did a player like him go and have fun dribbling a few meters from his goal under German pressure? It remains a mystery: “We do not shoot Marco Verratti, analyzed Samir Nasri on Wednesday evening on the Canal Champions Club set on Canal +. I love the player. Simply at some point, when you’ve had a good first half, you come in second but for 15 minutes you don’t touch the ball, the last thing to do is to dribble 20m from your goal knowing that there is a pressing! »
No, indeed a player of his standing should not do that. “For me, Bitshiabu and Verratti are both responsible for this loss of ball, analysis for us Guy Lacombe, the former coach of PSG (2005-2007). Only, Verratti has the experience to be able to understand the danger of the situation and hand the ball to Bitshiabu”. What he did not do and PSG paid dearly, very dearly. “At this point in the game, continues Guy Lacombe, the goal came from this action but it became inevitable. Bayern were very pressing and stronger in this second period”. Under pressure, it was said that PSG would crack, sooner or later.