PSG are Champions League favourites thanks to defensive resilience
"Attack wins you games. Defence wins you titles."
- Sir Alex Ferguson
When PSG rocked the footballing world and secured the services of Lionel Messi, the discussion instantly turned to the club's chances of claiming that elusive Champions League trophy.
When PSG knocked back Real Madrid's reportedly record-breaking bid for Kylian Mbappe late in the summer transfer window, the suggestion was that the club felt the enviable attacking trio of the Frenchman, Messi and Neymar could be the difference between yet another failed assault on Europe's premier competition and vindication of the lavishly-funded Qatari project.
But football is rarely that black-and-white.
PSG have discovered to their painful detriment over the years that signing A-list superstars doesn't guarantee success. Where the likes of Bayern Munich and Juventus - until recently - have constructed domestic hegemony, that has even been beyond the ability of the PSG project.
Repeated failures on home soil and near-misses in the Champions League have brought the need for carefully crafted team building into sharp focus.
The appointments of Unai Emery and Thomas Tuchel in years gone past have kept PSG on the right development path, with the margins not quite falling in the latter's favour in the 2020 Champions League final against Bayern Munich. What both recognised, however, was the need to build strong defensive foundations to allow the star-studded attack to be impactful. On the evidence of PSG's 2-0 win over Man City this evening, Mauricio Pochettino has arrived with a similar line of thinking.
With the exception of Raheem Sterling's headed chance in the first half - which Bernardo Silva was eventually flagged offside on the rebound - PSG afforded Man City very few clear sightings of goal and six of City's attempts came from outside of the area.
Crucially, Pochettino's side were able to corden off that golden zone between the goal line and the penalty box where City typically finish their free-flowing attacks from.
No player encapsulated the importance of the vast swathes of area between the two penalty boxes more than Idrissa Gueye. Although his performance may be defined by his rasping finish for PSG's opener, the 32-year-old covered every blade of grass, often halting the momentum of City's attackers moving into the penalty box or applying incessant pressure higher up the pitch.
His value can often be lost amid the Messi, Neymar and Mbappe hysteria, but he is a vital cog alongside the players of similar profile. Marco Verratti returned from injury with his usual bite on and off the ball, while Ander Herrera defended purposefully. The recruitment of Gini Wijnaldum on a free transfer hints at Pochettino's obsession around constructing a midfield which refuses to wilt on nights like these. The former Liverpool man has not quite been at his best in a PSG shirt but his similarities to his midfield colleagues hints at a clearly defined plan from the recruitment process.
Added to the impregnable central defensive partnership of Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe, who defended their penalty box as if there was an immediate threat to their life, PSG have developed a blueprint for these big games which makes them the favourites to lift the trophy.
Defend formidably and allow the best player of all time, supplemented by Neymar and Mbappe, to deliver the knockout blow. The footballing world may want that famous front three to break goalscoring records on the continent, but the foundation for PSG's assault on the Champions League this year is built on the other eight players.