Pressing tactics help Chelsea crush PSG

PSG suffered a crushing defeat to Chelsea in the Club World Cup final. Early morning on July 14, PSG lost to Chelsea 0-3 in the match to decide the Club World Cup title.

Chelsea, despite being underestimated by the bookies and experts before the match, proved that they can stop the attacking machine of coach Luis Enrique. The 3-0 score in the final in the early morning of July 14 said it all.

Chelsea's tactics

Unlike the teams that have lost to PSG, Chelsea have rejected the traditional deep-lying defence of an underdog. Instead, they have adopted a high pressing strategy, keeping numbers behind to fend off counter-attacks, and using their speed to exploit space.

Before the match, defender Levi Colwill emphasized the difference between Chelsea and Real Madrid: “PSG were excellent in the semi-final, but Real Madrid are different to us. They don't press or play like us. Don't expect us to repeat the same game as them. We will bring something different.”

Coach Enzo Maresca also emphasized Chelsea's style of play: "We have shown how to play well with and without the ball this season. PSG is definitely a model for many coaches and players around the world."

Coach Enzo Maresca is not exaggerating. Even without much possession and passing (only completing 126 passes in the first half), Chelsea still built a strategy of fast attack and precise finishing, taking advantage of the speed of Joao Pedro, Malo Gusto or Cole Palmer.

The match was decided in the first 30 minutes, when Chelsea took full advantage of PSG's defensive mistakes. In the 22nd minute, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made an accurate long pass, passing Nuno Mendes - who had not judged well in the aerial challenge.

That allowed defender Malo Gusto to break free down the right flank, his initial shot blocked by Lucas Beraldo, but the Chelsea star quickly recovered the ball and passed to Cole Palmer to make it 1-0.

The following two goals from Palmer (30 minutes) and Joao Pedro (43 minutes) were simply the result of Chelsea's successful high-pressing, creating quick counter-attacking opportunities. "The Blues", despite dropping deeper in the second half, still controlled the match with a calm style of play, with sharp counter-attacking passes.

PSG exposed physical weakness and pressing against Chelsea.

Disadvantages of PSG

PSG controlled nearly 70% of the ball in the first half, but could not penetrate Chelsea's defense, where Robert Sanchez became the hero with a series of excellent saves from Fabian Ruiz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Ousmane Dembele.

However, PSG's big problem lies not only in Chelsea's solid defence and the French side's missed chances. Under coach Luis Enrique, PSG are renowned for their relentless pressing and direct attacking style of play, unlike teams like Barcelona or Manchester City during Pep Guardiola's heyday.

However, this summer's FIFA Club World Cup, with its tight schedule, has exposed PSG's weaknesses. The reigning French champions lacked time to rest after their brilliant performance in the Champions League final.

Unlike the Ligue 1 season, where PSG can rotate their squad and rest between games, the Club World Cup requires them to play continuously for a month. Stars like Dembele, Kvaratskhelia, and Fabian Ruiz have shown signs of fatigue, especially after the tense knockout matches against Bayern Munich and Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, Chelsea used reasonable tactics, "turning on and off" the pressing system, exploiting goalkeeper Robert Sánchez to lure Ousmane Dembélé or Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to push up, creating traps to defeat PSG.

Source: https://znews.vn/chien-thuat-pressing-giup-chelsea-de-bep-psg-post1568476.html