PSG Reaches Champions League Semi-Final: A Significant Achievement for Enrique’s Revamped Squad

Paris Saint-Germain’s progression to the Champions League semi-finals against Aston Villa highlighted some of the squad’s vulnerabilities, while also representing a notable milestone in the development of Luis Enrique’s youthful team.

The 3-2 loss at a vibrant Villa Park served as yet another reminder that PSG’s collection of talented yet inexperienced players frequently falters under pressure, despite the Ligue 1 champions advancing 5-4 on aggregate.

In contrast to previous seasons, which were often marred by dramatic collapses, PSG demonstrated resilience—bending but not breaking, managing to regain some control after throwing away a 2-0 lead that Villa transformed into a 3-2 advantage on Tuesday.

PSG had laid the groundwork in Paris, where a commanding 3-1 victory provided them with an advantageous position in the quarter-final tie, with Nuno Mendes’ late goal proving to be pivotal.

However, on Tuesday, as they faced relentless pressure from the boisterous English crowd, the team displayed familiar signs of anxiety.

Errant passes, hasty choices, and an overall lack of composure allowed Villa to sense an opportunity.

“It wasn’t our finest performance, that’s for sure,” Luis Enrique commented. “But what I observed was a team enduring together. And that’s something new.”

For years, PSG’s Champions League narrative has been one of disillusionment. The 2017 “remontada” against Barcelona, where they relinquished a 4-0 first-leg lead, and the 2019 devastation against Manchester United, continue to be painful reminders for the club.

On Tuesday, echoes of those past traumas briefly resurfaced as PSG lost their coherence early in the second half, despite having extended their aggregate lead through first-half goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes.

Yet instead of falling apart, PSG found a way to manage the emotional weight of the game. Gianluigi Donnarumma made several world-class saves, demonstrating the vital importance of experience at this elite level.

“I’ve faced tough times before, so I’m going to savour this victory,” remarked captain Marquinhos, who was part of the team that suffered humiliation at the Camp Nou in 2017.

“But we stood united in the face of adversity. Now we must improve because these types of mistakes cannot happen in the semi-finals.”

PSG will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid next.

With an average age comfortably below 25, PSG’s project under Luis Enrique is geared towards long-term development rather than immediate success, and midway through the 2023-24 season, the Spaniard indicated he was already preparing for the next term.

With star players departing, PSG has embraced the rise of homegrown talents. Composed displays under pressure, such as the one against Liverpool in the last 16, are indicative of a shifting mentality in Paris.

For the first time in years, PSG progress not with arrogance, but with battle scars—and perhaps, at long last, with a dose of determination.