PSG continue to show their tactical maturity under Luis Enrique. During the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, the Parisian staff reportedly designed a very specific plan around Matvey Safonov.
According to reports, the Russian goalkeeper had been instructed to deliberately send many of his clearances straight out for throw-ins on Michael Olise’s side of the pitch. The goal was to disrupt Bayern’s rhythm and, above all, prevent the English winger from receiving quick balls in dangerous positions.
Safonov and PSG’s Tactical Mind Games
The strategy worked perfectly, as Olise struggled to make any real impact on the match. However, Luis Enrique refused to reveal too much afterward. “I have no intention of giving information to the opponent,” the PSG coach explained during his post-match press conference.
The Spanish manager instead praised the collective intelligence shown by his squad against Bayern. “We always look for the best way to win matches. I watched the game again and I’m very proud of what we did,” he said before adding with a smile: “The details are more interesting for journalists.”
For his part, Matvey Safonov seemed amused by all the discussion surrounding his unusual goal kicks. “I saw that a lot of people were talking about it. It’s very funny when I know the real information!” the PSG goalkeeper joked after the win against Lens. What exactly did the Russian keeper mean? Nobody will ever know for sure, but it clearly suggests there really was a carefully prepared plan behind it all.
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