Vincent Guérin, former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder, shared his thoughts with L’Équipe on the Parisians’ 2-1 victory in Barcelona. While he declined to call it a “miracle” for a weakened PSG team, the former French international particularly highlighted the young players, especially 18-year-old Ibrahim Mbaye, whom he found surprising and promising.
Guérin: “The Spanish coach knows his players very well”
“Do you consider this victory for a weakened PSG team in Barcelona to be a true feat?”
(He hesitates) “Not really… With Luis Enrique, this Paris team relies on a very distinct DNA and style, so when players are missing, those who replace them immediately fit into that system. The Spanish coach knows his players very well, he makes them work in a highly cohesive manner, and he also learned the right lessons from the defeat in Marseille in Ligue 1 (0-1, September 22).”
Guérin: “He was tense at the beginning of the match, but we could see that he became more and more comfortable as the game progressed”
Among the young players from the PSG academy who started this match, which one impressed you the most?
Rather than Senny Mayulu, who performed very well, especially with his goal, but whom we already knew about since he scored in the Champions League final (5-0 against Inter Milan on May 31, the last goal), I will mention Ibrahim Mbaye. He was tense at the beginning of the match, but we could see that he became more and more comfortable as the game progressed, just like the team, and he did some really amazing things.”
For Vincent Guérin, the Parisian victory in Barcelona is not a miracle, but rather the reflection of a team that has found its balance. With Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain relies on an identifiable style, where physical intensity and collective discipline compensate for any absences. This ability to press high up the field, to maintain a high work rate throughout the match, and to sustain the same intensity from start to finish demonstrates remarkable physical conditioning. This context also explains why judgments about young players, like Ibrahim Mbaye, are often made too hastily.
At a club like Paris, they immediately demand the consistency and composure of a seasoned veteran, forgetting that the development of a young player inevitably involves ups and downs. Guérin’s analysis reminds us that we need to look beyond the initial jitters of a young player’s debut: Mbaye loosened up, showed good physical strength, and displayed unexpected qualities. It is precisely this combination of collective strength and the gradual development of young talent that allows PSG to remain competitive, even when facing adversity.
