Unai Emery’s Mistakes Pose Questions over His PSG Squad Depth in Monaco Loss

On Sunday night, Paris Saint-Germain fell to their first defeat of the season, losing 3-1 to AS Monaco at the Stade Louis II in Ligue 1.

It is the first game they have lost in August since they were beaten 1-0 by Lorient in 2011—as previously discussed in this column—but the first early-season loss in the QSI era.

It’s the first time in five years PSG have lost in August – 2011: Lorient 1-0 PSG, in first match of Qatari era.

— Mohammed Ali (@mohammedali_93) August 28, 2016

PSG boss Unai Emery saw his team outworked, tactically outmanoeuvred and soundly beaten in every area of the pitch.

Thiago Motta was in full agreement after the game, per the club’s official website: “I think Monaco were the better team tonight. They deserved their win. Every defeat is hard to accept, this one especially, because like us, Monaco are hoping to play for the title. We will bounce back. We’ll look at the match again and analyse the positives and the negatives.”

With only three weeks of the Ligue 1 campaign played, it is far too early to panic, but there have been reasons for concern, and Monaco took full advantage of them on Sunday.

The Spanish coach changed his system going into the game, playing 4-3-3 rather than the 4-2-3-1 that had been somewhat successful so far, something that Emery discussed during his pre-match press conference: “The team is used to playing 4-3-3, but there’s not a lot of difference with a 4-2-3-1. If we can play in both systems, we’ll be stronger, more competitive. It’s important for us to have depth in terms of tactics. Now, I think the team is ready to play in both systems.”

Leonardo Jardim’s 4-4-2—not just in the shape that he used, but the players he picked—countered PSG’s formation.

With Djibril Sidibe—known as an attacking full-back—on the right of the midfield, he was able to help protect Andrea Raggi on the right of the back four. This tactical tweak kept Layvin Kurzawa, who has been PSG’s best player this season, very quiet.

Paris-born Timoué Bakayoko having one of those games against PSG. Needs to keep up that form. Underwhelming with Monaco & France U21

— Sébastien Chapuis (@SeBlueLion_EN) August 28, 2016

Monaco won the game in the midfield. Bernardo Silva dropped in to match PSG in terms of numbers, and Tiemoue Bakayoko and Joao Moutinho dominated the middle of the park with superb performances.

As you can see from the picture above, when PSG were in possession, Monaco worked hard to make sure there was little space for the away side to work with.

Jardim’s team got numbers behind the ball, and then when PSG did breach the first bank of four, both Jemerson and Kamil Glik pushed up from centre-back to close down any space for the Parisians’ creative players.

It was a perfect example of how to play against the champions. Lyon failed to pressurise the ball, and it cost them. Bastia—as discussed here …

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