Contrast in Styles to Determine Victor in PSG's Welcome of City
It is a build-up that has been dominated by discussion of the similarities between the clubs off the pitch, especially in the context of the rise of oil-influenced football, but as regards how similar Paris Saint-Germain are on the pitch? That’s a lot harder to discern. It could yet lead to a game that throws up a few twists and surprises.
PSG are quite understandably strong favourites given the ease with which they won the French title, and the difficulty City have had in England, but the clear difference between the leagues is only one of many factors that could yet distort expectations of this game. Many might also point to how easily Laurent Blanc’s side ultimately beat Chelsea in the last round but, well, City did that too, even if it was at a different stage of the season in a different context.
Manuel Pellegrini’s side themselves seem to respond to the altered circumstances of the Champions League, given that it has witnessed two of their best - and, most importantly, urgent - performances of the season in the away wins against Sevilla and Dynamo Kyiv. Might the nature of this tie rouse something out of City in the way the same competition did to an ailing Chelsea in the 2011/12 season? Naturally, neither manager wanted to rise to questions about the comparative qualities of either side, and mostly spoke diplomatically.
Pellegrini mostly spoke dully, in the way he usually does in press conferences: “It'll be difficult but I believe we have a chance. Paris are a very good team, with a project similar to Manchester City in a sense, trying to grow year by year. Both teams have an opportunity to push on. I don't think there's a clear favourite in this tie.”
Blanc was more expansive: “After the draw, some were relieved and said it was a good one for us as we avoided the two giants, Barcelona and Bayern. I strongly warned my players not to listen to that. Those who say that don't understand anything about football. We'll be up against a team with quality and quality in depth - their squad overall has much more quality than ours.”
The last sentence is really up for debate and smacks of something between graciousness towards guests and expectation-management, but it’s more difficult to debate the quality in the starting XI: PSG will have more of it available. While City are missing Yaya Toure, Raheem Sterling and Vincent Kompany - players from three different areas of the team who provide three different qualities, thereby removing the side of some of their variety - Blanc is without Marco Verratti.
The oddity is that the absence of one PSG player could have a greater effect on the pattern of the game. Because, if there’s one thing of which we can be certain here, the French side will look to pass… and pass and pass. City had better prepare for it. The French champions have played 669 short passes per league game this season, 179 more than Pellegrini’s side, and with that standing at 90% of their overall type of balls attempted. Even allowing for PSG’s superiority over the rest of Ligue 1, that is an astoundingly high figure.
It is not just more difficult opponents that may curtail that. The absence of 92-pass-per-Champions League game Verratti could do so too. The Italian is influential in the side’s level of fluency and the wonder is whether they’ll quite be able to get the stars to link up in the same way without him. PSG so often look to end passages of passing with an inspired through ball, trying seven a game in France, but that may not be as much of an option without the anchor of Verratti.
How they set up early on will be revealing, as this could further distort the game. The return of Kevin De Bruyne may change City, too. We already saw it in the weekend’s suddenly resurgent 4-0 win over Bournemouth. The Belgian does not just give the team a badly-lacking pace, he also averages more key passes per league game - at 3.5 - than any other player in the two teams.
That could also dictate what this game turns into: PSG constantly probing with their passing, City constantly looking to counter at pace. It could bring a far bigger contrast than with the perceptions of the clubs off the pitch. It could also be decisive.
Who do you think will come out on top when PSG meet Manchester City on Wednesday night? Click here to view head to our detailed preview of the Champions League encounter
