Pape Gueye, the 27-year-old Villarreal midfielder, revealed to DAZN that he was deeply struck by Paris Saint-Germain. Following the match between Villarreal and PSG (0-6)—played on Tuesday, November 3, during the fourth round of the Champions League league phase—the Senegalese player highlighted the quality of the Parisians’ movement.
Pape Gueye: “In terms of movement, they really knew how to shift around.”
“I didn’t sleep much; I’ve been trying to process what happened. It was a first for me—never before have I conceded six goals in a single match.
It wasn’t just the midfielders moving all over the pitch; it was a collective effort. At times, I’d have Hakimi right next to me, and at other moments, it would be the youngster Mayulu. In terms of movement, they really knew how to shift around.”
The detail regarding Hakimi is particularly telling. For an opposing midfielder, seeing a full-back arrive in his zone forces a decision: either follow him—risking the creation of open space elsewhere—or hand off the marking responsibility to a teammate. When the players you are tracking keep changing, your defensive adjustments must adapt accordingly. Gueye’s account illustrates this challenge: the Parisian movement presented Villarreal with a series of dilemmas that the Spanish side simply couldn’t solve.
This is where his comments carry real weight. Simply moving a lot isn’t enough; the movements must complement one another and provide options for the player in possession. It is precisely this cohesion that the Senegalese player highlights—even noting the positioning of young Mayulu. His testimony helps explain the sense of total control PSG displayed: beneath the appearance of tactical freedom, the opposition encountered a team that knew exactly where to go—so much so that it was still on his mind once he got home.
