He spent eight seasons at Bayern Munich in the early 2000s before training as an assistant or interim in 2017. New Georgia coach, Willy Sagnol deciphers the keys to the clash between Bayern and PSG.
1. Take advantage of Lewandowski's absence
“Without Lewandowski opposite, PSG has every chance because Bayern is no longer the same team.
We saw it against Leipzig (1-0 victory for Munich) on Saturday: the team is struggling to find offensive solutions, to finish its actions.
In these cases, we try to go faster, to do a little more, but not in the right direction: we try to force, to make the extra gesture, the extra touch.
PSG can take advantage of this rough side without the Polish striker.
"
2. Pushing the Germans
“Bayern is less serene this season.
Defensively, the team is less solid than last season.
It is not that their defense is weaker but it is expressed with less ease, less power.
The opponent has more the ball this season in general.
The failure to replace Thiago Alcantara with a player of the same profile is a mistake.
He was transforming the game. "
3. A lot of running in the middle
“Bayern have no weak points.
PSG must therefore play on its strengths, leaving it a little more than usual the ball and having a clearly defined game plan, namely to play on the transitions.
Paris still has the same problem with its offensive players who do not work enough defensively.
For me, it is not useful to align Neymar, Mbappé and Di Maria together.
With Kean, Paris is much more balanced.
In the middle, I would put Gueye, Danilo and Herrera.
Bayern love to circulate the ball.
So you have to run a lot in the middle and get it back from the opposing feet.
Herrera and Gueye can do it.
It takes throwing to catch the ball and Kean can be super important in that area.
"
4. Be collective ... like Bayern
“Kimmich has a key role.
When he's good, Bayern is good.
But it's not just him.
In France, there is too much of a tendency to reduce a team to its individualities.
Bayern never asks the question.
It's the team that's strong.
The Germans reason like that.
The 2020 final, the Germans won it before.
On the one hand, they said:
We want to mark the history of the club
and on the other:
I want to mark the history of PSG
.
The difference is there, between a team project and a project carried by individuals.
But PSG have shown that they can come together, work together and, in this case, I'm not sure Bayern is superior.
"
5. Neymar must quickly release the ball
“Neymar can play in Verratti's register but he will need a much faster use of the ball.
He must pass it on faster.
At 50 m from Neuer's goal, if he makes six touches of the ball, it's over, even with a nice dribble.
Bayern will have had time to get back to work.
The two or three situations that PSG had in the final of the Final 8, they are quick attacks, on or two touches maximum.
We must insist on this.
"