Have PSG formed their very own MSN in attack? | OneFootball

Paris Saint-Germain made it seven wins on the bounce in all competitions, beating Aston Villa 3-1 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final.

Despite Villa taking the lead through Morgan Rogers after 35 minutes, PSG struck back before halftime, with Desire Doue firing one in off the crossbar to make it 1-1 at the break.

In the second half, Luis Enrique’s men stepped it up another gear, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia making it 2-1, rolling it past Axel Disasi with his studs and smashing it in at the near post. To add insult to injury, Nuno Mendes netted in the 92nd minute to make it 3-1, with Ousmane Dembele picking out the Portuguese left-back as he made a deceptive run into the box.

So with all three of the attacking trio having decisive moments in the match, what exactly is it that allows them to shine and could they even be the next MSN (Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, and Neymar)!

Now labelling them with such praise of an attacking trio who achieved what they did may be jumping the gun a bit. But the fluidity of their movements, the combinations between one another and the understanding makes them such an exciting watch, something you would always associate with the MSN days.

Much like Messi, Suarez and Neymar, the PSG attacking trio will switch positions, drift inside to combine with each other at shorter distances, completing one-twos, producing little flicks and alternating who attacks the last line.

From the PSG passing network, you can see how fluid their movements are, with not just the attacking trio, but also the midfielders and full-backs. The constant movement is effective against a low block, pulling players out of position and looking to disrupt the opposition defensive shape, which is exactly what PSG did against Aston Villa.

Unai Emery’s side were willing to sit back, often dropping Boubacar Kamara into a back five, allowing them to sit in a 5-4-1 shape, trying to absorb pressure before hitting the French outfit on the break.

PSG set up with Kvaratskhelia on the left, Dembele through the middle and Doue on the right, but as you can see by the touch maps of both wingers, the interchangeability between all three is key to their success, allowing them to combine with each other and create those moments of magic.

Kvaratskhelia had 103 touches in the match, taking five shots (one on target), completing four of his five dribble attempts and creating five chances. Meanwhile, Doue had 71 touches in just 72 minutes, taking six shots (three on target), completing two of his four dribble attempts and creating three chances.

Dembele, being the oldest of the bunch (still only 27), is superb at noticing when those wingers drive inside, where he has to move to offer as an option and to make sure the rotations are fluid, not leaving zones unoccupied. The Frenchman had 99 touches in the match, taking four shots (one on target), completing two of his five dribble attempts and creating NINE chances!

With this attacking talent (not to mention Bradley Barcola who came from the bench), it’s hard to count PSG out as potential Champions League winners this season — especially when you consider how this attacking unit is combining at this moment in time.