So much more than football lessons you could take away from that PSG-City game

That football match was nothing short of a blessing for those who, like this writer, were fortunate enough to be able to watch it.

It was a terrific contest and a wonderful performance from the English side in particular, for they looked dead and buried for the large part of the first half of that Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday. For much of the half the boys in navy blue truly gave meaning to the Paris Est Magique slogan that’s written on one stand of the Parc des Princes Stadium – illustrating exactly why they believe Paris is Magical.

The contest inspired me to write this piece not as a mere reflection on a football match between two giants of the European game, but to share thoughts about the significance of the life lessons that I strangely picked up during all of those breathtaking exchanges.

The lesson on City coming back in the manner that they did, pulling off something that can be best described as a resurrection in the most spectacular fashion, is but one of the points I wish to make here.

That’s because there was also the element of individual players and their idiosyncrasies and the unique individual football qualities that also caught my eye and stimulated the mind.

I must admit, my idolizing City manager Pep Guardiola is what made it all the more sweeter to have learned all that I did about football and, as I say, life. His TV post-match reaction was also fascinating, especially the answer to the question about what he did to inspire his side to come back and play the way they did in the second half.

“Sometimes you need time to be more relaxed, to be a little bit ourselves. It’s normal, 180 minutes, you don’t wanna lose the ball … you don’t play free. We changed a little bit the way we press, we were more aggressive [whereas in] the first twenty minutes we were so passive, because it’s not so easy to deal with Neymar, Mbappe and Di Maria …”

I found it fascinating that he reiterated the importance of being ‘themselves’ in such games, something that he also mentioned a few times in the pre-match press conference, which tells you about the man’s faith in his tactics and style of playing football. I raise that point especially because he was heavily criticized last season for tweaking his tactics a bit too much which, many argued, was the main reason for their losing to Lyon and crashing out in the quarter-final stage.

Manchester City suffered nothing less than an onslaught in Paris in that first half, and having the hosts move the ball with the pace and precision with which they did, leading 1-0 after Marquinhos’ header had put them ahead just 15 minutes into the match, and having in their team a dazzling talisman like Neymar (not to mention Mbappe, Di Maria and all the other stars) – City were seriously up against it. They needed a great attitude to survive that, over and above the high concentration levels and proper defending.

For most of the first forty-five minutes, they were second-best in practically everything, struggling to even execute a hallmark of Pep’s teams – keeping the ball.

Admittedly, I was concerned not only about the quality of opposition they were facing, but also the fact that, as one commentator aptly pointed out, City are not used to being relegated to defending for their lives, whereas PSG are all too familiar with trying to break down teams that sit back against them.

But it appears that being reminded to be themselves was all they needed, as the same commentator again described the situation aptly when he said PSG looked a shadow of the team they were in the first half, in the second.

I couldn’t help but think about the importance of remaining true to who you are in the face of whatever storm might be coming your way. Having the utmost faith in your qualities and abilities when tasked with something challenging.

Challenging as it may have been for City in the first half, it’s also worth mentioning that they also did impose their style and bullishness in the early stages of the half, especially before the opening goal. The likes of Ederson, Kyle Walker, Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva were all at their usual best even when some of their teammates were uncharacteristically having a tough time.

But the one City player who I found particularly enthralling was Riyad Mahrez. His propensity to bring a well-travelled ball down with an efforless first touch is what actually made me decide that I’m going to write this piece.

For all the incredibly good stuff that the Algerian winger does on the pitch, I couldn’t help but notice that one quality of his. I dare say the guy’s first touch is one of the most gorgeous things you’ll witness when watching football. He invariably stops the ball dead with it, before he can decide what other magic trick to pull.

That, for me, speaks of a professional who has mastered the basics. A professional who has not merely relied on his talent to be able to always perform at a high level, but one who has worked tirelessly on his technique and skills.

On the opposition side, there was also the sight of Neymar that I found inspirational. Needless to say the man is a great footballer, but what about his confidence on the ball? He wanted to have it all the time, not in a selfish way but he just seemed always ready for the challenge. I also found that to be a trait that we could all learn from.

Overall, it was a terrific football match and I’m sure that’s the one thing fans of both clubs will agree on, if nothing else. I’m certainly grateful for the football and the life lessons.

Featured image: @ManCity on Twitter