Mbappe brings Real out of the cloud

Paris, the city of love, showed its dissatisfaction with Real Madrid on the most romantic day. Clashes occurred very early, but they were fatal to the heart of Imanol’s team. Oyarzabal had to give up and, much to his regret, was pulled out of the match due to knee discomfort. And then Mbappe appeared to remind the people of San Sebastian that the Champions League is a different world, that geniuses mercilessly destroy your illusions. Several brilliant performances from the best player on the planet made the situation very difficult for Imanol’s squads. Her journey through the great continental tournament has been flawless, but her mistakes are costly.

A failed corner and another pass from the striker sent the Thuri-Urdin team onto the field. While they had only conceded two goals and not lost a game their entire way through the group stage, they now conceded them within 12 minutes and broke their unbeaten record. The current situation is difficult because the bad mood in the League continues and the goals have run out. After an encouraging first half, in which they were familiar with an opponent of great authority, they began to deflate in the second, a very even team came out in attack, in which the visiting team did not know what to do with the ball. They failed to soften the attacking options of an opponent who began to abuse their dominance, control and depth.

Imanol’s initial plan was clear: press very high, don’t leave PSG an inch to prevent them from playing the way they like, start their bikes from the front in search of Remiro. The message that was read in these bold actions was: I respect you, but I am not afraid, and I will be true to my script in such a majestic setting. Of course, this idea carries its own risks, especially in the form of losses in intermediate sections. Zubimendi took notice in the 6th minute, making an error that activated the deck. Dembele gave way to his colleague Mbappe in the race and his cross-kick was saved by Remiro.

They were both very aggressive. The feeling was that Real went away from the 15th minute after several attacks from the Parisian sprinters, a feeling that they were displaying their usual personality in a European setting without flinching one bit. There are players who create danger, who have more possession and spark. Kubo especially showed his personality in the large Coliseum. Very good attitude towards taming the beast. PSG were uncomfortable, they didn’t see the joy of Luis Enrique’s sparks, which, as always, left Dembele and Mbappe on the sidelines, fully ready to race. Kilian was heated by what he saw, he was stunned because as soon as he entered the game, he took off his jersey and threw it near Remiro’s goal. Defenders Hakimi and Beraldo expressed great respect for Barrenechea, although he had a bad night, and Kubo. Galan was another active member of the group. Thanks to Merino, La Real began to have long possession of the ball and his strike in the 44th minute could have meant the score was 0–1.

The second half began with visible similarities to the first, with Mbappe’s strike, although this time much more timid. But everything collapsed in the blink of an eye. The genies come out of the lamps almost without wiping them. Poor support from Traore left Real trembling, fearing a serious injury to the team. It was in ’57 and the beginning of the misfortunes of the blue and white began. He had to leave for treatment, which disrupted the standard defense. Because Kubo was in charge of marking Mbappe, and he was mortally confused, which is normal for a player not used to being a blotter. Marquinhos extended his shot from the corner and the PSG star, all alone, scored against Remiro 64 and touched it. In that fleeting moment, the entire castle of confidence collapsed. Kilian loosened up and started throwing shots, one went towards the goal, but Remiro touched and deflected into the crossbar, the other flew high… It was scary to see this 7. The blow after the score was 1-0 was visible in the face and, above all, of the guest football.

But the advice came in a different direction. With Barcola moving quickly down PSG’s left flank and making a breakthrough that Traore ate with his potatoes. Zubeldia tried to cover himself, but did not have time. The match pleased the French and Real risked losing the draw if they did not respond. He was unable to maintain the same pace as his opponent and skinned him. Imanol tried to refloat the ship with changes, and only slightly raised the fighter above the canvas, which partially helped, because Luis Enrique asked to fold the sails. The bitter feeling is that the score 2:0 – the best evening in the city of love, turned into an evening of discontent.