According to Crickex Login, Paris Saint-Germain’s recent Champions League group stage clash against Newcastle United highlighted major flaws in the club’s tactical setup. The match, seen as a battle for the top spot in the tournament’s so-called “Group of Death,” exposed PSG as a title contender in name only. Manager Luis Enrique’s insistence on transplanting Barcelona’s possession-heavy tactics into PSG’s vastly different lineup may prove to be a recipe for disaster.
In the past, PSG was defined by its star trio—Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé—who made the club a perennial group favorite. Yet even with such firepower, the team consistently failed to deliver meaningful Champions League results, leaving fans puzzled. Now, with Messi and Neymar gone, the mystery feels partially resolved. Their departures have laid bare PSG’s identity crisis. While the team didn’t win more with them, their absence confirms that PSG without them is far from an elite powerhouse—it’s a paper tiger.
With only Kylian Mbappé left as the marquee name, he now carries the weight of leading PSG to European success. However, Newcastle, backed by new ownership and surging through the Premier League, proved to be a formidable opponent. PSG either underestimated them or, more critically, was hamstrung by Enrique’s flawed tactical approach. Whether facing Newcastle or any other top-tier club, sticking to this rigid system could doom PSG to repeated failure.
Mbappé remains the heart and soul of the team, best known for his explosive speed down the flanks. He thrives in counterattacks, where space allows him to blow past defenders. But in this match, Enrique inexplicably deployed him in the number 10 role—a central position previously occupied by Messi. Whether this was Mbappé’s idea or Enrique’s attempt to mold him into a classic playmaker is unclear. What is clear is that the result was underwhelming.
As Crickex Login observed, Mbappé’s influence faded from this deeper, central role. He had fewer chances to use his speed or attack defenders directly. This tactical shift not only dulled PSG’s offensive edge but also highlighted the misalignment between Enrique’s philosophy and his squad’s actual strengths. Enrique may want to recreate the Barcelona or Spain-style tiki-taka system, but PSG lacks the technically gifted midfielders required for such precision play.
It seems Enrique hopes Mbappé can emulate Messi—serving as both creator and finisher—but Mbappé is not that kind of player. Crickex Login notes that the manager has likely overestimated both the attacking depth of his squad and Mbappé’s adaptability. Mbappé has always been a winger at heart, a player who excels on the break, not a central orchestrator.
In football, trying to fit a square peg into a round hole rarely ends well. Unless Enrique adapts his tactics to fit the reality of his squad, PSG could be heading for another disappointing European campaign.