PSG used genius tactic no other club has thought of to totally dominate Michael Olise

Luis Enrique employed a subtle tactic which fans believe deliberately nullified Bayern winger Michael Olise during Wednesday’s Champions League semi-final second leg.

The reigning European champions ensured they progressed to their second Champions League final in two seasons with a 6–5 aggregate win over Vincent Kompany’s Bayern at the Allianz Arena.

Following last week’s enthralling 5–4 PSG victory in Paris, fans eagerly anticipated another dazzling display from both sides, although the second leg was a much more measured affair than the first.

The Ligue 1 side opened the scoring just three minutes in when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia found Ousmane Dembélé in the penalty area before the Frenchman made no mistake, smashing into the roof of Manuel Neuer’s net.

Bayern tried and failed to break down PSG’s resolute defence, with the in-form Olise struggling to get a foothold in the game despite Nuno Mendes being on a yellow card for most of the match.

Harry Kane pulled one back in second-half stoppage time, but it was PSG’s evening in Bavaria.

Olise, who has registered 21 goals and 30 assists in 49 appearances this term, did not have his best evening, with some fans spotting a subtle tactic PSG used to stop him in his tracks.

Throughout the match, PSG goalkeeper Matvei Safonov appeared to deliberately kick the ball out of play from goal kicks, resulting in the away side overloading the right flank and, in doing so, outnumbering Olise from the ensuing throw-in.

This tactic seemingly made it easier to press Olise, giving the winger less space to work with, a move which appeared to work a treat.

One fan explained: “Safonov was instructed to deliberately goal-kick towards Olise's area, asked to hit it super hard until it's like a throw-in into the box. Why? So they can overload Olise's side, making it way easier to press Olise. Honestly, this is brilliant!!! Tactics like this, I think, must be inspired by American football. Ever read Eyeshield 21? There's a tactic like this, too. Deliberately kicked to a specific spot, then the players are already ready to swarm it, so the opposing player who catches that kick is caught off guard because there's a TON of guys pressing.”

Another added: “Safonov is deliberately kicking every goal-kick to result in a Bayern throw-in, but always on Olise’s side. A throw-in on that side forces both teams to overload the right flank and leaves Olise in numerical inferiority and in tighter spaces. One of the reasons the Frenchman had a poor game today.”

While a third commented: “The instruction to tell Safonov to kick it out for a line-out every 6m. We’ll never fully understand Lucho. You can do whatever you want lmao.”

PSG take on Arsenal in the Champions League final in Budapest, Hungary, on May 30.