Enzo Maresca's team selection costs him against ruthless PSG

Gianluigi Donnarumma and PSG supporters, via CBS Sports

Half an hour into Manchester City’s first home match since the Premier League publicly found them guilty of 114 financial breaches, the Poznan had broken out. But it wasn’t the Manchester City supporters, who stood so smugly in the face of that guilty verdict at Anfield over the weekend, but the traveling Parisians bouncing in jubilation.

It was the kind of counter-attacking performance we’ve come to expect from the back-to-back European champions, and they jumped out to a 3-0 lead inside 32 minutes. But Enzo Maresca’s team selection made it shockingly easy.

The home side started with four sturdy center-halves: Marc Guehi, Ruben Dias, Josko Gvardiol, and Abdukodir Khusanov, with Elliot Anderson, Enzo Fernandez and Rayan Cherki in midfield. Conservative on paper to select four big defenders with no traditional full-backs, it was anything but in practice, as Gvardiol pushed incredibly high up the pitch, often pressing alongside Rayan Cherki in the space behind Erling Haaland.

This left the other three central defenders exposed, and once PSG broke through City’s high press, they had acres of space to charge at the retreating back line. With no wing-backs on the pitch and the midfield three also pressing high, PSG had huge gaps to exploit in front of the defense and down the flanks.

When the move that led to PSG's first goal began, Gvardiol was the furthest Manchester City player up the pitch, applying pressure to Fabián Ruiz alongside Cherki, with Anderson and Jeremy Doku behind him. With three well-played passes, PSG bypassed the entire Manchester City press. Suddenly, Fabian Ruiz is on the other side of the pitch, with only Fernandez and the retreating Khusanov and Dias ahead of him. He passes to Desire Doue, who shoots and scores.

Manchester City's press just before PSG's first goal, Gvardiol top of screen. via CBS Sports

Some will call out Donnarumma’s goalkeeping on the first goal; the Italian stepped too early to his left, opening the space for Doue to curl the ball into the near post, but it was naive of Enzo Maresca to think his team could press that high against one of the best counter-attacking teams in the world without a more sturdy midfield or any defensive support on the flanks. That doesn’t take anything away from PSG. The French Champions played exquisite football to carve their way through that press, but we've seen them do that before; that's what's made them so captivating over the last two seasons.

Just a few passes later, PSG are away. via CBS Sports

The next two goals were a similar story, and Enzo Maresca’s side found themselves down 3-0 at half-time, an insurmountable deficit for 99.9% of teams. But Maresca’s smart half-time changes, bringing on Iliman Ndiaye, Ayyoub Bouaddi, and Matheus Nunes, nearly dragged the home team back into the game.

Nunes added mobility to the back four and helped plug up the right flank. Though noticeably, none of the defenders pressed nearly as high as they did in the first half. Bouaddi helped the team immensely in midfield and let Fernandez push higher up the pitch where he could press the PSG defenders more successfully than Cherki had. While the Moroccan's positive passing helped Manchester City going forward, the 19-year-old produced 10 line-breaking passes, the third most of any player on the pitch despite playing just 45 minutes. Illiman Ndiaye showed the positivity that got Everton supporters off their feet so often last season, driving at Marquinhos and getting a shot off almost immediately upon entering the game, and continuing to square up his defender throughout the half. Just as importantly, the winger dropped back in line with the defense to form a back five when needed.

City dominated the early second-half proceedings, and it was Ndiaye's cross that found the head of Erling Haaland in the 53rd minute for City's first goal, giving the Etihad a hefty dose of belief. It looked like the home side could drag themselves back into it, but an unfortunate Donnarumma error ten minutes later restored PSG’s 3-goal advantage. The Italian got a hand to a well-struck effort from PSG’s Maghnes Akliouche, but only managed to direct the ball into his own net. Bouaddi provided the assist for another Haaland goal, and Donnarumma redeemed himself slightly with a penalty save, but it was ultimately too little, too late for Manchester City.

It was Enzo Maresca’s first attempt to manage the chess match that is a Champions League clash between two European powerhouses, and it ultimately ended in defeat. But the positives, and the experience gained from the negatives, should ultimately benefit him and his team in the long term. The performance in the second half, especially, means that despite the scoreline, City fans won't think the team is incapable of beating PSG if they meet again in the later stages of the tournament.