“Produced all the good balls” - Arsene Wenger names only PSG player who performed in Champions League defeat to Dortmund

Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes that Portuguese midfielder Vitinha was the only Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) player who impressed him in Les Parisiens' Champions League semifinal against Dortmund. The French outfit were knocked out by Dortmund at Park des Princes on Tuesday (May 7).

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, PSG’s hopes of staging a comeback were dealt a severe blow when Mats Hummels found the net with a header in the 50th minute, doubling Dortmund’s advantage from Julian Brandt’s corner.

Dortmund managed to hold onto their lead over the Parisians in the second half. They thwarted the hosts' attempts to find a route back into the tie, with the team hitting the woodwork on four occasions.

Reflecting on PSG’s lackluster performance, former Arsenal manager and Frenchman Arsene Wenger criticized the team’s over-reliance on individual moments of brilliance from star players like Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Wenger singled out Vitinha as the only PSG player who impressed him, crediting him for producing quality balls throughout the match.

He told beIN Sports:

"Only Vitinha in midfield performed tonight and produced all the good balls. After that it was down to individual actions, to Dembele and Mbappe, and that’s what happened."

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Arsene Wenger believes that PSG did not carry the "right attitude" for a Champions League knockout fixture

Wenger also highlighted the team's failure to approach the game with the right attitude, pace, and approach required for a Champions League knockout fixture. He emphasized the team’s tendency to rely too heavily on individual brilliance rather than cohesive team play. He added (via the aforementioned source):

"I believe tonight that Paris Saint-Germain did not go into the game with the right pace, the right attitude, the right approach and then I would say they relied a little too much on individuals to do something special."

Paris Saint-Germain's dismal attacking output across both legs means that the French outfit has become the team with most shots on goal without converting into a successful finish in the last 20 years.

Luis Enrique's men will thus miss out on the opportunity to play a UEFA Champions League final for the second time. They have now played in a UCL semi-final fixture seven times, failing to advance on six occasions.

Additionally, their four strikes against the woodwork in a Champions League knockout tie set a new record, underscoring their frustration in front of goal.

Despite their Champions League disappointment, PSG have already clinched the Ligue 1 title. They will be eyeing the Coupe de France final against Olympique Lyonnais on May 25 to complete the domestic double.