Paris Saint-Germain, even with several absences, tore apart Tottenham in a second half in which they regained confidence, while the English side failed to hold onto the lead on two occasions.
Tactical analysis and match report by Juan Lauz.
The PSG arrived under pressure. The Parisian team occupied seventh place with 9 points —three wins and one loss— and carried a recent blow: the 2–1 defeat against Bayern Munich in this same stadium, a setback that had raised questions about the solidity of Luis Enrique’s project. Despite the stumble, the team’s overall performance had remained competitive, but the capital side faced a greater difficulty: injuries. Several key absences had eroded the stability of the squad, which sought to rediscover the sharpness it had shown at the start of the tournament.
On the other side appeared one of the unexpected animators of the league. Tottenham, still unbeaten and full of confidence, sat 12th with 8 points —two wins and two draws— and arrived boosted by their latest performance: a commanding 4–0 win over Copenhagen in London, a display of authority that strengthened the conviction of Thomas Frank’s team. Spurs travelled to Paris knowing they could compete on equal terms, backed by a positive dynamic in the Champions League despite a more irregular trajectory in the Premier League.
Regarding the lineups, PSG entered as favourites due to their squad and home advantage. Luis Enrique fielded his usual center-back pairing of Marquinhos and Willian Pacho, accompanied by Nuno Mendes and the young Warren Zaire-Emery at right-back due to Hakimi’s enforced absence. In midfield, he repeated the trusted trio: Vitinha as the pivot . . .