Liverpool: How Paris St-Germain exposed Arne Slot’s back five in Champions League
On the night, Liverpool’s centre-backs were tasked with supporting the press when players in front of the ball applied pressure.
Ibrahima Konate on the right followed these instructions throughout the game to support Jeremie Frimpong but the lengths he had to cover in an unfamiliar role left him vulnerable.
Had he been slow to react, PSG could have dropped an attacker deep, who could then mount the ball, turn and move towards the defence, creating space between himself and the out-of-position Konate.
Liverpool handled the press well at times and their front three blocked PSG’s makeshift three; Frimpong jumped up to put pressure on the home player, who had turned to the left side of the defence.
But PSG adapted to this. Players in the full-back areas took deeper positions, increasing the distance Liverpool’s wing-backs had to cover when pressing.
It was Konate’s job to follow his man when Frimpong pressed.
However, with the ball remaining in play, PSG began to play high, taking advantage of the spaces behind Konate and forcing 34-year-old Virgil van Dijk to pass through the centre.
A good example of this was seen in Hakimi’s run from right back to left wing. Milos Kerkez, a natural left-back and tasked with marking him, was probably uncomfortable moving to the other side of the pitch before Mendes played a long ball through Konate and found Hakimi unmarked.
