Luis Enrique won the Champions League in 2015 at Barcelona with an unrivalled attacking triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar… or MSN as they were known.
The irony is that, a decade on, his decision to bin off two of those juggernauts at his next club could be the catalyst to Paris Saint-Germain finally striking gold in club football’s premium competition.
Messi sailed off into the sun with Inter Miami, Neymar saw the money and ran to Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile Kylian Mbappe, the best French footballer of his generation, left to be the ultimate superstar at Real Madrid.
Egos were left at the door. Gone was the galactico era, now we have the era of the French Revolution.
This team proved at Anfield that they are the cream of the crop in Europe. Not proven winners like Real Madrid but a fearless side who rocked up at Anfield and played like they belong at the very elite level.
The famous Anfield atmosphere is often an overused cliche but on Tuesday night this stadium truly was a raucous, unwelcoming environment that created an ear-splitting noise.
PSG’s decision to move on the from galactico era may the be the catalyst for success in Europe
Ousmane Dembele levelled their last-16 tie against Liverpool before winning on penalties
Portuguese duo Vitinha, pictured, and Joao Neves dominated in the heart of the midfield
For the first 10 minutes, as Liverpool racked up chance after chance and Gianluigi Donnarumma’s goal lived a charmed existence, one wondered if the French guests were about to crumble under the pressure of their intense surroundings.
Every tackle the home side made was greeted with a bellowing cheer of encouragement as if they had scored a goal, every wayward pass Paris Saint-Germain sent into touch prompted the Kop into a roaring noise.
There were many of those moments early on. Members of Enrique’s inexperienced team, one of the youngest in the competition, puffed out their cheeks and it felt like Liverpool smelt blood. Men against boys. A matter of time, it seemed, until Arne Slot’s side scored.
But then out of nowhere, PSG settled. And how they settled. They took the lead against the run of play to level the tie on 12 minutes, after a zapping counter-attack. One presumes L’Equipe will be labelling that goal ‘French robbery’ after their headline around an English heist in Paris last Wednesday.
That goal tilted the momentum and, although it was indeed against the run of play after a shaky start, nothing from that point on was a fluke. Luis Enrique has assembled a team that is ready to win conquer Europe. After years of trying, it now feels like a ‘when’ not ‘if’ situation for the Parisiens.
Last week, their attacking trio won all manner of plaudits – and rightly so – but on Tuesday night it was more about the supporting cast behind them. Left back Nuno Mendes gave Mohamed Salah as tough a night as he has witnessed all season. Willian Pacho was immense.
In the centre, there was the little Portuguese duo of Joao Neves and Vitinha – and it is hard to recall a pair of midfielders who have used the ball in such ways since Xavi and Andres Iniesta for Barcelona back in the day. Take the ball, pass the ball… blink and it’s gone. A joy to watch.
At full time, as the PSG players sprinted towards penalty hero Desire Doue and their fans, Vitinha fell to the turf. He had given everything, and how fitting that he remained in the centre of a pitch he had dominated.
Penalty stops will make headlines but Gianluigi Donnarumma had an imperious overall display
Luis Enrique looks to have assembled a PSG team that is ready to win conquer Europe
Last week, Alisson was the hero with what he described as the best night of his life. On Tuesday night, it was Donnarumma’s turn to defy logic with acrobatic saves, point-blank stops and a commanding nature to take control of dangerous crosses. Two penalty stops will make the headlines but this was another all-round imperious goalkeeping display.
Around 30 minutes before kick-off, the Anfield DJ George Sephton played the Journey track Don’t Stop Believin’ and that felt apt for both of these teams as the pendulum of the tie kept swinging back and forth.
In terms of the standard and quality on show, it is hard to recall a better game this season. This was a match fitting for a final and it truly felt like two heavyweights going at it, punch after punch. But as both goalkeepers made huge interventions, who would land the knockout blow?
What we can safely say is, regardless of the result, these are the cream of the crop of Europe. The best of France against the best of England. Two great coaches and two great teams. One of them was knocked out but both will be back this time next year.
PSG used to be a team who were laughing stocks of Europe for their lame exits of this competition. All the gear, no idea. No matter how much money they spent, or how many galactico-like juggernauts they had at their disposal, it felt like they were cursed on this stage.
Not any more. Now, Enrique’s men are coming of age and they are the team to beat.
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