by “A lot of people want to see us dead,” declared Luis Enrique, theatrically if not entirely wrongly, after the narrowest squeak through the Champions League group stages in the autumn.
Halfway though the last-16 tie Paris Saint-Germain is still not only alive but favorites to register their first knockout victory in three years. They were driven at the Parc des Princes by the edge of Kylian Mbappé and the energy of the reconfigured team that, for all their anti-galactico styles, is more focused on feeding the ball towards the existing King.
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Mbappé and Bradley Barcola scored the goals to make it 2-0 at the end of a well-opened first leg, but this was still an ordeal for the French champions as Real Sociedad arrived in Paris ready to play.
“Madre mia, what suffering! Great team! What a way to compete! I don’t even want to think about the second step,” was Luis Enrique’s post-match verdict on his opponent who pushed fearlessly, but was picked up in the second half by a tired limb by the high craftsmanship of the Paris attack.
For the opening 45 minutes this was a fascinating game of contrasts. La Real set their game-line recklessly high. Paris ended a series of surgical breaks. On the one hand, it could be argued that the greatest game in the history of the clubs involved a man without fear; on the other side is the high-speed brilliance of Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, suffering from Paris’s usual wireless nerves at this stage of the competition.
La Real is one of those clubs that people love to love, a valid and wholesome construction, built from ideas like community, stability and participation. Here they had nine Spanish nationals, four of them Basques, a supposed Frenchman from Brittany, the wonderful name of Robin Le Normand, who looks like a great hero of the Battle of Hastings.
Paris Mbappé was back, as always, recovering from a bruised ankle. And as ever the main story here is Mbappé, or at least unsolved.
Recent reports suggest that Mbappé’s entourage, or at least some members of his entourage – one must allow an entourage to have many colors and nuances – are not convinced by the latest cash offer being made by Real Madrid, which is very extensive, has moved at his door. Entourage feels, something short of the best money offer on its own – bogglingly large. It’s been a long time since this was a sad story about insatiable greed and the commodification of human talent. Mbappé is 25 now. It’s really time to reach out and find your own extraordinary boundaries.
It took 35 seconds at the Park for Real Sociedad to steal the ball high up the pitch, before André Silva curled their first shot of the game just wide. Half of Paris had the feeling of a Western saloon bar brawl deep in those opening moments, as the visitors pressed into packs, leaving a reckless amount of space behind them.
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Mbappé should have scored with five minutes gone after thrusting straight through the middle, out there sliding into his own private patch of green and shooting too close to Alex Remiro.
Takefusa Kubo and Mikel Merino combined to set up André Silva for a header that went just over the post. Kubo was a threat throughout the half, a beautiful, easy, mischievous dribbler, and it seems that another footballer who decided this high-tension theater, in the end, is a bit of a pulse. Are you really allowed to enjoy playing these games?
Paris began to assert their possession game more orderly. Le Normand was booked for Dembélé’s hack as he slid past two white shirts towards the edge of the penalty area. And half time came with the game still somehow goalless.
Imanol Alguacil’s team continued the pattern after the break. Press high. Leave three against three at the back. I hope Mbappé and Dembélé are not as deadly as they look in the clips. Still, the suspicion began to grow that La Real really had to pay for all this energy because of the threat at the other end.
And so it was when Paris went ahead from a corner with 57 minutes gone. Dembélé took it, Marquinhos turned it and Mbappé expertly grabbed the ball at the back post, too quick and agile for the white-shirt cover.
Paris were humming now, Vitinha weaving into space and finding clever passing angles. Mbappé grazed the bar with a shot from 25 yards. And on 70 minutes it was 2-0. The goal was scored with a quick break from left to right, and Barcola scored, who took the ball on the touchline, dribbled inside, found the space opening up and fired the ball under Remiro. A packed Reale Arena in a fortnight’s time could mean another twist. But Paris has the upper hand in this tie in every sense.
