On the night time, Liverpool’s centre-backs have been tasked with backing up the press when the gamers forward of the ball utilized stress.
Ibrahima Konate, on the fitting, carried out these directions all through the sport in help of Jeremie Frimpong – however the distances he ended up having to cowl in an unfamiliar function left him exposed.
If he was sluggish to react, PSG would drop an attacker deep, who might then get on the ball, flip and drive on the defence, with house between him and an out-of-position Konate.
At occasions, Liverpool executed the press properly, with their entrance three blocking PSG’s makeshift back three – earlier than Frimpong jumped as much as press whichever house participant had rotated to the left aspect of defence.
PSG, nevertheless, tailored to this. The gamers in full-back areas took up deeper positions, growing the space Liverpool’s wing-backs needed to cowl when urgent.
When Frimpong did press, it was Konate’s job to comply with his man.
But with time on the ball, PSG started to play excessive, profiting from the areas behind Konate, forcing 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk throughout from the centre.
A very good instance of this early on was seen in Hakimi’s run from right-back to the left wing. Milos Kerkez, a pure left-back, tasked with marking him, probably felt uncomfortable transferring to the opposite aspect of the pitch earlier than Mendes performed an extended ball over Konate to search out Hakimi unmarked.
