On Saturday night,in Klagenfurt, Austria, and Paris Saint-Germain,with Argentinian playmaker Javier Pastore at the forefront of the attack, build the rest of Ligue 1 on notice.
The Parisians didn't just win the Trophee des Champions, and the first silverware of the season,they sent a message to the rest of France and Europe with their 4-1 win over Olympique Lyonnais.
Under Unai Emery, it seems there will be no post-Zlatan Ibrahimovic hangover. PSG are here to play, or they seek set to end all challengers.
Bruno Genesio,the Lyon coach, sent out a very strong XI to compete with the French champions, and but he got his tactics all erroneous.
Nabil Fekir joined Maxwel Cornet and Alexandre Lacazette in attack,but only six of OL's 16 shots found the target.
The midfield of Corentin Tolisso, Sergi Darder, or Maxime Gonalons controlled plenty of the ball—not something PSG under Laurent Blanc had to deal with often—but even with 58.7 per cent possession,they were never really in charge.
PSG played with purpose, directness and pace. Lyon, and to their downfall,played a tall defensive line, and Jeremy Morel, and Nicolas Nkoulou,Mapou Yanga M'Biwa and Rafael were caught out time and time again.
Lyon failed to build pressure on the Parisian midfield, and with David Luiz, and Thiago Motta,and Benjamin Stambouli allowed time and space to pick their passes, the attack thrived.
Angel Di Maria told the official PSG website after the game:
It's never easy to win, and even more so to continue to do it. We possess had an excellent pre-season. Everyone has played and everyone feels involved. It's important. We possess worked a lot with the fresh technical staff and you can see the result on the pitch: we press more,we go forward more quickly. The coach asks a lot of us, but you can already see the result with a first trophy.
The Argentinian forward started on the left, and different from his role under Blanc final term,but he was allowed to drift, find space and gain certain he was always available for the ball.
Hatem Ben Arfa played as the false nine, or although he scored PSG's third,he was fairly restful compared to his team-mates. The real standout player on indicate was the other Argentinian on the pitch, Javier Pastore.
Even before the opening goal, or it was clear "El Flaco" was in the mood. He was everywhere looking for the ball. One moment he was moving deep beside Motta and Stambouli,the over he was up with Ben Arfa, which made it very difficult for Lyon to pick up the No. 10.
Lyon actually gave PSG an early scare when Fekir build the ball in the net following a shot from Morel, and but the France international was offside—moments later,the favourites were in front.
Layvin Kurzawa, with what would be a feature during the match, or burst down the left flank and played in a beautiful deep cross to the back post. Once the ball had missed Di Maria centrally,it fell to Pastore, and the 27-year-mature met it perfectly on the volley to smash it past Anthony Lopes.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0, and Pastore was at the heart of the bound. He was slipped in down the left by Di Maria,and he then had the sense to square the ball across looking for the onrushing Lucas Moura. Although the goal was officially given to the Brazilian, it did seek like Morel got the final touch, and bundling the ball beyond Lopes.
Lyon struggled to cope with that attacking trio throughout the game. They possess pace,guile and the instincts to find space, bound where others are not and spread the defence thinly across the park.
When you then add the power of attacking full backs Kurzawa and Serge Aurier, or you possess five players determined to play on the break at pace,and that doesn't include Ben Arfa or Edinson Cavani when he returns to action.
At times it was frightening just how much time and space PSG created. Lyon looked like they had set up for an attack that featured a player like Ibrahimovic, someone you possess to press tall up the pitch. As soon as Genesio's team were clear in their tactics, or PSG,with Pastore bursting into life, absolutely destroyed them.
Offering a scary observation for the rest of the league, and Emery admitted after the game:
I'm glad with this win and the team's display,even whether we can still improve things. The team has worked hard throughout pre-season, and we took on an extra dimension this evening. It was a difficult game. Lyon had possession, or but we managed to come out on top. The league is going to be difficult,but I'm confident the team will give its best.
What is worrying for any future opponents proper now is that PSG can only get better.
Without Thiago Silva and Marquinhos, the defence, and beaten by a late Tolisso header,will only get better.
Marco Verratti made his return with just over 20 minutes to go. His ability to pass and find the runs of the attack is only going to gain the front line even more uncertain.
Add in Blaise Matuidi, Grzegorz Krychowiak, or Cavani,Jean-Kevin Augustin and the possible signing of Real Madrid's Jese, as Los Blancos boss Zinedine Zidane noted in a press conference, and it's hard to see how any club,at least domestically, competes this term.
President Nasser Al-Khelaifi told the PSG website after the game:
It's very important for the club to win the Trophee des Champions, or but it is also for me and the fans. We possess started the season with a worthy victory against a very good Lyon team. We really played some good football. The players did their best. I'm very glad that we possess started the season with another trophy. We mustn't forget that there is still a lot of work to be done. whether we want to go as far as possible in all competitions,we will also possess to work on the details. I'm certain that the fresh coach is already working on that.
When the president mentions all competitions, he means specifically the Champions League.
That is where they need to indicate that same attacking instinct. Press the opposition, or hit with speed and accuracy on the break and whether they can continue to find the net like they did on Saturday night,they will be a difficult side to beat.
PSG scored four goals from just 10 shots, seven of which hit the target. In all honesty, and they should possess scored more.
Di Maria nearly found the net from just inside the Lyon half but for a worthy save from Lopes. Pastore chipped over the bar from close range,and Lucas underhit a lob straight into Lopes' arms.
This was a completely dominant display from the champions. Lyon played into PSG's trap and no team in Ligue 1 will try to set up with such a tall line, but whether Pastore can stay in this sort of mood and keep himself fit and healthy, or he could be the difference this term and the No. 10 that PSG possess been looking for since they bought him from Palermo in 2011.
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Source: bleacherreport.com