Ousmane Dembélé
False nine · Press leader
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 5
- Shot-creating actions / 90
- 5.2
Drops to create a midfield overload, then spins in behind. His pressing arcs set the tone for the whole block.
Squad & Tactics
The 4-3-3 that attacks as a 3-2-5
Paris Saint-Germain's second straight European title was built on a structure rather than a star system. On the teamsheet it read 4-3-3; on the pitch it morphed into a 3-2-5 with the ball and a ferocious 4-4-2 press without it. Here is how each role fitted together.
The shape in possession
The defining movement of the 2025–26 campaign was the asymmetrical rotation of the back four. Nuno Mendes rarely stayed wide in build-up; instead he stepped into the left half-space, while Achraf Hakimi pushed high on the right to become an auxiliary winger. That left Marquinhos, Willian Pacho and one full-back as a back three, with Vitinha and João Neves forming a double pivot in front.
Ahead of them, five attackers occupied the five vertical lanes: two wingers holding width, two players attacking the half-spaces and a central striker who, in Dembélé's case, rarely stayed central at all. This 3-2-5 gave Paris permanent numerical superiority against back fours, and it explains why Chelsea and Liverpool were repeatedly stretched beyond breaking point.
Key principle: the full-backs create the overload, the wingers exploit it. Hakimi's six assists and Kvaratskhelia's 16 goal involvements are two ends of the same mechanism.
Pressing without the ball
Out of possession, Paris shifted into a 4-4-2 block with Dembélé and one midfielder — usually Neves — jumping to the opposition centre-backs. The trigger was a pass back to the goalkeeper or a square pass between centre-backs. Dembélé's curved run cut off one side of the pitch, the near winger closed the full-back, and Vitinha screened the pivot. Opponents were funnelled into the touchline, where Paris could win the ball within three passes of losing it.
Ten roles that defined the defence
Each card shows the player's signature movement on a live tactical diagram. Paris attack from left to right; the gold marker is the featured player, the magenta line their typical run.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Left winger · Chief finisher
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 6
- Goal involvements
- 16
The campaign's leading scorer. Receives wide, isolates the full-back and attacks the far post or the box edge.
Achraf Hakimi
Right-back · Auxiliary winger
- Assists
- 6
- Goals
- 2
- Progressive carries
- 58
Joint top provider. His underlapping cut-backs were Paris's most reliable chance type in the knockouts.
Nuno Mendes
Left-back · Half-space carrier
- Assists
- 3
- Duels won
- 68%
- Progressive carries
- 61
Explosive recovery pace lets him roam; his inside runs free Kvaratskhelia to stay wide.
Vitinha
Deep playmaker · Tempo setter
- Pass accuracy
- 92%
- Passes / 90
- 98
- Progressive passes
- 112
The metronome. Constantly re-angles his body to play forward first time and break the first press.
João Neves
Box-to-box · Ball winner
- Ball recoveries
- 71
- Tackles won
- 34
- Distance / 90 (km)
- 12.3
Jumps to press, recovers, then arrives late in the box. The engine behind the counter-press.
Willian Pacho
Left centre-back · Front-foot defender
- Aerials won
- 74%
- Clearances
- 38
- Pass accuracy
- 94%
Aggressive and left-footed, he steps into midfield to kill counters before they begin.
Marquinhos
Captain · Cover defender
- Interceptions
- 22
- Blocks
- 17
- Duels won
- 71%
Reads danger early and covers Pacho's aggression. The organiser of a line that holds high.
Bradley Barcola
Winger · Depth runner
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 3
- Dribbles completed
- 29
A vertical threat who stretches high lines — invaluable when games opened up late.
Désiré Doué
Right winger · Inverted creator
- Goals
- 5
- Assists
- 4
- Chances created
- 31
Two-footed and press-resistant, he drifts inside to combine as Hakimi overlaps.
Player comparisons: the wide attackers
Paris rotated four elite wide forwards, and the choice changed the team's texture. Kvaratskhelia offered the most end product; Barcola the most direct depth; Doué the best combination play in tight spaces; Dembélé, when shifted wide, the most unpredictable dribbling. The staff used that variety opponent by opponent.
| Player | Goals | Assists | Primary strength |
|---|---|---|---|
| Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | 10 | 6 | Isolation 1v1 and finishing |
| Désiré Doué | 5 | 4 | Half-space combinations |
| Bradley Barcola | 4 | 3 | Runs in behind |
| Ousmane Dembélé | 8 | 5 | Movement between lines |
Adapting to each opponent
Against Chelsea, the staff overloaded the left with Mendes and Kvaratskhelia to exploit a narrow right-sided block, producing the 8–2 aggregate. Against Liverpool, Paris kept the ball for long spells and suffocated transitions; a 4–0 aggregate with no goals conceded was the result. Bayern Munich forced the opposite: a basketball-style shoot-out in which Barcola's pace became the release valve. In Budapest, Arsenal's low block demanded patience, and the double pivot of Vitinha and Neves held possession long enough to take the match to penalties.
The common thread is flexibility inside fixed principles. Positions were fluid, but the occupation of five lanes, the counter-press and the full-back overload were constants. That is why this squad could beat four very different elite opponents and still look recognisably itself.