Paris Saint Germain and Atalanta BC will be facing each other in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final clash at Stadium of Light in Benfica on 12th August. It will be a great opportunity for PSG to enter into the final four but on the way, they face a worthy opponent in form of dark horse of the tournament, Atalanta BC who defeated the Spanish club Valencia to reach into the Quarter Finals. With Thomas Tuchel and Gian Piero Gasperini facing each other, it would be a tactical delight for the football lovers. We will be presenting a PSG vs Atalanta Tactical Preview, breaking the two teams down on paper and how this clash in the last 8 of the Champions League will spice up the tournament.
Paris Saint Germain
Paris St. Germain will be looking to clinch this tie and enter the final four of the UEFA Champions League, which they have failed to do in the recent years. But it won’t be easy for Paris Saint Germain as they face an in-form Atalanta side. Let’s see what can we expect from the Paris Club on Wednesday.
PSG vs Atalanta Tactical Preview: Tactical Setup of Paris St. Germain
PSG under Tuchel, this season has been a dangerous side, both at home and overseas. But the thing which startled us all is the formation that they play in, which is unique. The 4-2-2-2 formation is not what we are familiarized with but it has proved quite fruitful for Tuchel’s side. It consists of 4 man backline, 2 holding midfielders with 2 wingers and 2 strikers at the tip of the formation.
PSG will try to play it out from the back. PSG are habituated to facing teams who play with a low block against them and they are pretty good in handling that situation, but this time it can be a problem. Atalanta are masters of counter-attacking football and they will try to use it to their effect. So for PSG, it won’t be just like a match from the Ligue 1.
PSG will try to form a diamond structure from the back, which will give rise to more passing options to the team. Navas will be the beginner of the building up from the back. Atalanta’s weakness will be PSG’s main target. Atalanta is especially weak against teams who counters swiftly against them, which, on the other hand, this may lead us to see PSG defending a lot more than usual and trying to attack Atalanta on the break.
PSG will be looking to find the space from the wings by stretching out Atalanta’s 3-5-2 formation. With Neymar and Sarabia on two wings, the pace will be the strength of PSG. Both of them will either shift centrally or will try to play out the ball to the two advancing strikers. PSG may try to build a strong mid-block against Atalanta’s ever-pressing technique. The centre backs will have to be alert with a lot depending on them in the defence and in case of the counter they will play out passes to the wide regions unlocking the wingers or fullbacks.
It is very likely that PSG fullbacks won’t move much out of position and in transition the formation may change into a 4-4-2 formation.
Injury woes
PSG have been unlucky with the injury saga. A lot of high profile players are injured and will be a doubt ahead of this crucial tie. Even Mbappe‘s presence is not guaranteed as he had injured himself with a leg sprain. He will be a big doubt ahead of the tie as he was injured in the match against Saint Etienne. Marco Verratti is out of the match with a calf injury. Kurzawa will also be out with an ankle injury. Di Maria will also miss the tie with suspension. Neymar will be on the charge to put his team out of this tricky situation.
Atalanta BC
Atalanta are the team who will get the support of all the neutral fans throughout the world. Gasperini and his boys are loved by all of Italian football lovers, due to their beautiful free-flowing football and their scoring goals at will. With PSG out of league football for a long time, PSG can pull off a coup by defeating them.
PSG vs Atalanta Tactical Preview: Tactical Setup of Atalanta
Atalanta will play in their well accustomed 3-5-2 formation under Gasperini. Atalanta is the dark horse of this year’s UEFA Champions League. They are coming onto the tie with an excellent form after the resumption of football after COVID 19 break. Atalanta is a free-scoring side and will look up live up to their billings. PSG might be the kind of opponent that cannot be swept aside easily.
Atalanta will try to make the most out of PSG’s weakness against man to man pressing with high intensity. They will try to make the most out of it and win the possessions higher up the pitch and make the most of PSG’s out of position defending. The wing-backs will have to put double shifts. With Neymar on the left it will a long night for the right wing-back and right centre back they must have to outnumber him in a 2 vs 1 situation.
PSG are vulnerable against counter-attacks this must be a big advantage for Atlanta. They will try to make the most out of it. With players like Zapata, Pasalic and Gomez, quick counter-attacks are the norm of Atalanta side. The defence must be taken care of, the deep-lying midfielder of Atalanta will have to stay back to cover for the back 3 to absorb the pressure of the counter-attacks.
Atalanta will let PSG come to them, the pressing intensity will be more in their own half, as soon as they win the ball they will try to play it out wide, incase if the wings are overloaded they will pass the ball out to the central midfielders or the support striker to carry the ball out.
Final Thoughts
The PSG vs Atalanta Tactical Preview focuses on the tactical duels of the two managers as they would battle out in the way they set up their teams. We will be looking forward to Atalanta’s performance if we will able to witness a European fairytale at Lisbon. Or should we expect a masterclass from the Brazillian superstar who restarts his resurgence in European football?
What are your thoughts on the PSG vs Atalanta Tactical Preview ? Let us know in the comment section below.
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