Mauricio Pochettino was not the only one at the Parc des Princes left with a bloody nose after coming to blows with Leandro Paredes on Tuesday night. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Before Paredes clattered his manager in the face, limbs flying in the aftermath of Kylian Mbappe’s stunning, stoppage-time winner against Real Madrid, the Argentina international had spent the previous 92 minutes pulling the Parisien strings, relegating Toni Kroos and Luka Modric to spectator status as he took centre-stage, shining bright in the City of Light.
No one in a PSG shirt mustered more touches (123). No one completed more passes either (113, according to WhoScored).
It was Mbappe’s face dominating the front pages on Wednesday morning. The PSG talisman certainly didn’t hold back after netting a wondrous winner against his ‘future employers’.
But it it’s another, less-heralded member of Pochettino’s XI who laid the foundations for a hard-fought and much-deserved 1-0 win.
Real came to defend. To stifle and to frustrate. Any semblance of attacking ambition diluted by the destruction of the ‘Away Goals Rule’.
For much of this season, Pochettino’s PSG have struggled to break down deep-lying opposition. Paredes, then, was vital when Real Madrid came to town.
No one in the PSG squad can break the lines like he can from the number six role. The Human Hole Punch; creating openings at will with those piercing, probing through balls.
The notoriously snippy L’Equipe even gave Paredes 7/10 for his performance. And, believe us, that is more of an achievement than it sounds.
Can Pochettino’s PSG win the Champions League?
According to The Athletic, Leandro Paredes turned down the chance to join Tottenham Hotspur last month in a swap deal involving Tanguy Ndombele.
But who can blame Paredes, really, for opting to stay put and fight for his place?
Why join a club facing up to the prospect of another season without Champions League football – one who have just been outclassed by Wolves and Southampton – when you’ve got a crunch clash against none other than Real Madrid looming on the horizon, with a place in the quarter-finals of the world’s most glamorous cup competition up for grabs?
Leandro Paredes proved on Tuesday night that he belongs on the Champions League stage.
As Antonio Conte found out last week – his side were humbled by Wolves and harried by Southampton – the same cannot be said of Tottenham Hotspur.
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