Nice show Newcastle, Milan and Borussia Dortmund how to win at PSG

Francesco Farioli’s team pressed, countered and moved the ball intelligently in their 3-2 win at the Parc des Princes

By Adam White for Get French Football News

PSG’s 3-2 defeat at home to Nice this weekend offers a way forward for the three clubs who will visit Paris in the Champions League over the next few months. Nice, led by their dynamic new coach Francesco Farioli, pressed intelligently, countered hard and used the ball efficiently. These are the same challenges that PSG’s opponents will pose in their tough Champions League group – only at a higher level. Nice’s performance not only offered a blueprint for Newcastle, Dortmund and Milan to follow but also suggested that PSG’s campaign in Europe could be more about limiting damage than making progress.

Above all, the defeat showed that this is a PSG team still under construction. In possession, Luis Enrique’s new-look side often shift to a loose 4-1-5 shape with right-back Achraf Hakimi advancing further than the deeper, narrower Lucas Hernandez at left-back. The front five is designed to stretch opposition defences and create space between opponents, mostly for Kylian Mbappé. Although nominally the left forward, Mbappé trades places with central midfielder Vitinha, who runs the left touchline so the France captain can move to more dangerous areas, just off a central striker.