PSG - Manchester City: Mbappé untraceable, a cataclysmic second half ... The figures behind the defeat

We make them say what we want, but sometimes they are the ones who speak best.

In the aftermath of PSG's defeat against City (1-2) in the Champions League semi-final, we have compiled some figures that best tell the dominance of the English team in this match, where Kylian Mbappé did not not really existed.

Mbappé touched fewer balls than the opposing goalkeeper ...

It is undoubtedly the most cruel of all.

Best PSG player this season and number one danger for the defense of Manchester City, Kylian Mbappé was very discreet Wednesday night.

No doubt he missed his match, but we should not neglect the quality of the defensive system put in place by Pep Guardiola.

A figure shows it: Kylian Mbappé only touched 29 balls during the 90 minutes, one less than… the opposing goalkeeper, Ederson.

… And didn't shoot on goal once.

It is an extremely rare fact for him: of these 29 balloons affected, none was a shot on goal.

The French striker did not take his chance once during the meeting.

It is even the first time in his career in a Champions League match.

Bakker beaten in almost all duels

Bernat and Diallo injured, it is the young Mitchell Bakker who was established on the left side of the Parisian defense.

And if he has shown a certain courage, the Dutchman still seems quite far from the semi-final level of the Champions League.

Opposed in his lane to a world reference, Riyad Mahrez, he won only 12.5% ​​of his duels during the meeting.

Too little to weigh.

PSG sank in the second half

It's hard not to notice the drop in the pace of PSG between the first and the second half.

In fact, all the same, it is more than striking: authors of 9 shots in the first period, the Parisians only shot once during the last 45 minutes.

When the Citizens went from 4 to 7. Another statistic which confirms this downturn: if the Parisians won 52% of their duels in the first half, this figure drops to 43% in the second.

In terms of possession, it's the same: Paris held the ball 46% of the time in the first half of the match, against 35% in the second.

To read also "The plan of Guardiola worked wonderfully", admires Robert Pires

Di Maria, the only one to float

From a statistical point of view (and to the eye too, for that matter), Di Maria was one of the best Parisians on Wednesday night.

Very active on his right side, the Argentine is the second Parisian to have touched the most ball behind Marquinhos, which is remarkable for an attacking player in this kind of match.

He also won the majority of his duels (56.3%) and caused two faults.

Without forgetting, of course, his decisive pass on the corner for his Brazilian captain.

Less gas?

PSG only covered 102.6 kilometers on Wednesday evening.

His lowest total since the round of 16.

In the return match against Bayern Munich (0-1) in the previous round, the Parisians had for example run 5.7 kilometers more.

Even more eloquent, to preserve its advance acquired in the first leg against FC Barcelona in the quarterfinals, the counter climbed to 109.6 kilometers.

Still no victory against City

What if Manchester City became a PSG pet peeve?

The history of the clashes between the two clubs is still a little thin to confirm it, but for the moment Paris has still not won against the Citizens, after a draw in 2008 in the UEFA Cup and the defeat in the quarter-league. champions in 2016 (draw on the first leg, defeat on the return).

If that could change next week ...