The French Cup Final is back again this season with the same finalists as last year – Lyon and PSG. Well, we have faced PSG for a quite number of times and I think we already know what their strengths and weaknesses are. This competition is our only chance to secure a silverware this season as we have been knocked out from the Champions League and our league title hope is nearly over. Can we beat PSG and lift the French Cup again? Let’s check it out now!
Tactics and Starting 11
First off, we have our strongest 11 in this important big game. Anthony Lopes continues to be our 1st choice goalkeeper, playing alongside with Cristian Romero and Jason Denayer as the central defenders. Leo Dubois starts as the right back and Melvin Bard is playing on the left side. Lucas Tousart and Maxence Caqueret are the central midfielders, while Houssem Aouar starts at the number 10 position. The front three are Memphis Depay, Jeff Reine-Adelaide and Moussa Dembele. We have the same tactics setup again this time against PSG, remove the PASS INTO SPACE instruction, REGROUP after losing the possession, HIGHER DEFENSIVE LINE and a LOWER LINE OF ENGAGEMENT.
vs PSG
PSG, as usual, comes with a 4141 formation. However, some of the selections do surprise me. Keylor Navas starts in goal, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe are playing as the central defenders. Ismaily and Sergi Roberto play as the full backs. The three midfielders are Guido Rodriguez, Cristian Eriksen and Marco Verratti. Neymar, Mauro Icardi and Kylian Mbappe are the front three in this game for PSG.
We then have our team meeting in the dress room before the game. I encourage the boys saying that we should play this game and win it for our fans. Most of the players gain confidence and feel motivated which means we are all ready for the battle!
Match Result
It was a sad and disappointing evening. Unfortunately, Lyon did not lift the French Cup. The match ended with a 1-0 and Mauro Icardi scored the only goal at the 3rd minute in the game. The Lyon boys fought hard enough but we did not manage to score an equalizer and we lost the final. We did better than PSG, but we were extremely unlucky today.
We had a total of 11 shots and 7 shots on target, however, none of the shot turned out to be a goal. We only had 46% possession, but we created more clear-cut chances compared to PSG. In short, I think I was the one to blame. The boys had given their best on the pitch and they did play well, but maybe my old tactics setup wasn’t working anymore against PSG, or maybe Thomas Tuchel found the way to counter my tactics.
Icardi’s goal
PSG got very lucky, scored early in the game and it wasn’t a good start for us. It all happened from here. Houssem Aouar received the ball from Memphis Depay. He dribbled down to the left flank and tried to whip a cross into the box looking for the striker. However, PSG’s holding midfielder Guido Rodriguez managed to block the cross. The ball then bounced to Kylian Mbappe, who was standing in a great position with a big space in front of him. Mbappe then dribbled down the right flank and then cut in to the middle without any Lyon’s players stopping him. Our defender, Cristian Romero made a decision to challenge Mbappe, but he hadn’t realized Mauro Icardi ran past him in an onside position. Mbappe passed the ball to Icardi and the Argentinian touched the ball and brought it into the penalty box easily. Icardi eventually hit the ball into the back of the net. PSG 1-0 Lyon.
Player Ratings
In terms of the player ratings, you can clearly see that our defense was good. Jason Denayer received a 7.0, while the other defenders including the keeper had an average of 6.8. The two central midfielders delivered a great performance. Despite picking up a yellow card, Lucas Tousart still received a 7.0 at the end of the game. Maxence Caqueret was our best player on the pitch with a 7.7. The youngster made 7 key passes in 90 minutes, more than any other player in the game. Apparently, our attack was the only department that let us down. Our key players Memphis Depay and Moussa Dembele were subbed off due to bad performance. Both of them only had 6.4, so did Jeff Reine-Adelaide, another big game player. Ricardo Orsolini, Houssem Aouar and Amine Gouiri also had an average game.
Conclusion
We just lost the only chance to win a trophy this year. It is sad and disappointing, but we can take this chance to evaluate what’s wrong with our team. There are obviously some issues regarding the tactics or the quality of our players which we have to figure it out before next season. It’s been a wonderful second season to me with Lyon. We will hold our heads up high and fight again for the cup next season. In the next chapter, we are going to find out whether or not we can win the league. Stay tuned and take care!
ABT Football Manager 