- PSG leads Real Sociedad 2-0
- Mbappé, Barcola score goals
- Intense first-leg match
After a precarious passage through the group stages in the autumn, Luis Enrique declared, “Many would like to see us dead,” albeit theatrically and not wholly erroneously.
At the halfway point of this round of 16 matchups, Paris Saint-Germain not only maintains their Champions League hopes. They also appear to be heavy favourites to achieve their first quarterfinal triumph in three years. At the Parc des Princes, they were propelled forward by the vitality of Kylian Mbappé and a reorganised squad that, despite its anti-galactico aesthetics, is increasingly focused on supplying the ball to its incumbent Sun King.
Real Sociedad arrived in Paris in competitive form. They rushed fearlessly in a thrilling first half but were thwarted in the second half as they grew increasingly fatigued by the Paris attack’s dexterity; Mbappé and Bradley Barcola scored the goals that extended the lead to 2-0 at the conclusion of an agreeably open first leg.
During the initial half of their Champions League round of 16 matchups, Real Sociedad and Paris Saint-Germain presented an intriguing clash of contrasts. La Real surged recklessly high, while Paris produced a succession of surgical breaks; the entire matchup was an exhilarating interplay of contrasts. One aspect concerns the seemingly fearless underdog status in what is arguably the most significant match in its history, while the other concerns the high-velocity prowess of Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, which, as usual, is undermined by the high-wire Parisian anxieties at this juncture of the competition.
The game entered halftime with no goals scored, with the exception of Mikel Merino’s shot, which viciously dipped and scraped the top of the PSG bar while Gianluigi Donnarumma failed.
La Real’s Charm and PSG’s Challenge
La Real is one of those organisations that everyone adores. It is a warm, welcoming place founded on the tenets of collectivism, stability, and community. Unsettling outsiders, they approached Paris with the intention of swarming and stealing the ball from the front. They formed a line with nine Spanish nationals, four of whom were Basques, and one of whom, the ingeniously named Robin Le Normand, is presumed to be a Frenchman from Brittany and whose name evokes a legendary warrior-hero from the Battle of Hastings.
As anticipated, Paris Mbappé returned after recovering from a wounded ankle.
And as always, Mbappé, or more precisely, his protracted farewell, continues to be the most important narrative in this area and a matter of macroeconomic urgency for French football. Should the current Sun King ultimately opt to join Real Madrid this summer, Ligue 1 will suffer the loss of its preeminent and sole surviving international star, as the TV rights contract for 2024-29 has not yet been put up for auction.
It took Real Sociedad 35 seconds to seize the ball high up the pitch, and it took André Silva an additional four seconds to send their opening shot wide. Those early moments at times resembled a fracas in a Western saloon bar deep within the Paris half, as the visitors fearlessly charged in packs, capitalising on their own weaknesses while recklessly squandering space behind.
Five minutes into the match, Mbappé should have scored after a free-flowing pass through the middle. He was flying into his own green and trying a low shot too near to Alex Remiro.
Despite this, the Paris midfield continued to be harassed and jostled by the chaotic press. André Silva was set up by Takefusa Kubo and Merino for a header that narrowly evaded the post. It at times appeared transgressive. Are you truly permitted to take pleasure in these games?
Paris Seizes Control with Precision
After intercepting Dembélé as he ran past two white shirts towards an unattended penalty area, Le Normand was cautioned. At this point, Paris gradually began to assert a more structured possession game.
Kubo, a lovely, effortless, mischievous dribbler on the Real Sociedad right wing, was a constant threat. He also seemed to have determined that this high-tension theatre of misery is a bit frivolous.
The team of Imanol Alguacil maintained the same formation to begin the second half. Lift the press. Maintain a three-three advantage at the rear. It is hoped that Mbappé and Dembélé are not as lethal in person as they appear in the videos. However, as half-chances passed, the suspicion continued to mount that, in light of the menace at the other end, they might be compelled to pay for all this energy.
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As a result, with 57 minutes remaining, Paris grabbed the lead on a corner kick.
After Dembélé received it, Marquinhos flicked it on. Mbappé easily entered the ball at the back post and outpaced the white-shirted defender.
At this moment, Paris was buzzing, Vitinha circling through space in search of passing angles. From 25 yards out, Mbappé missed the bar with a right-footed strike. Furthermore, after 70 minutes, the score stood at 2-0.
Bradley Barcola scored the goal after a rapid diagonal break from left to right. Barcola received the ball on the far touchline and veered inside. He discovered the opening in the area and buried the ball under Remiro as he emerged from his goal sprawling. Not for the first time did the defensive right side of La Real appear to be a vulnerability.
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