Luis Enrique tactics on PSG lean on unparalleled team chemistry in addition to elite skill

Kyle Bonn

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Luis Enrique tactics on PSG lean on unparalleled team chemistry in addition to elite skill image

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — "Enzo Maresca is a coach I like a lot, I like how his team plays football, and they have a lot of salient individuals."

In praising Chelsea prior to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup final, PSG manager Luis Enrique inadvertently pointed out just the thing which puts his own team ahead of every other club around the world across the last six months.

Individuals. That's what every other team is compared to the Spaniard's own squad — merely a collection of individuals. Chelsea may have Cole Palmer, Real Madrid may have Kylian Mbappe, and Inter Milan may have Lautaro Martinez, but PSG have a truly complete team, where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.

"Eleven stars, that is football, we don't want one main player, we want 11 stars," the Spaniard said at his press conference. "I would say 15 stars really, that's what we want in this squad."

But it's not just the boss repeating this mantra; it's the entire team, down to every individual. They know that to execute such a carefully curated tactical plan, there can be no weak links.

MORE: The Sporting News goes behind the scenes at MetLife Stadium ahead of the Club World Cup final

Luis Enrique tactics at PSG require complete buy-in and sacrifice

The tactical plan Luis Enrique has implemented at PSG is one that relies on elite skill, but also complete togetherness, and the players are well aware of this.

Setting up in a 4-3-3, each line is required to press heavily without simultaneously leaving the line behind it exposed if broken.

On top of that, PSG implement a remarkable amount of positional rotations in possession throughout the team, every single one drilled to perfection. These tweaks mean that, while on paper they are set up in a 4-3-3, they almost never resemble this formation

MORE: PSG midfield trio has the potential to become all-time greats

Whether it's right-back Achraf Hakimi stepping into midfield or making vertical runs into the penalty area, striker Ousmane Dembele dropping out wide right, or  midfielder Joao Neves slotting into the back line, PSG constantly change their shape to overload the defending team. This results in opposition full-backs being pinned deep, midfielders confused on who to mark, or defenders losing track of who has entered or vacated their space.

It also can leave PSG wildly out of position and exposed if they make a mistake, but each player seems to always know where the others are, almost as if they are telepathically linked. Add in a robust counter-press from all areas of the pitch, and it's a risky setup that can be exploited if not performed correctly.

"Every day, the coach talks to us," said left-back Nuno Mendes at PSG training prior for the Club World Cup final. "We might be one of the top teams in the world right now, but the focus has to stay on playing every match well and applying everything we’ve worked on in training. That’s what matters."

This system relies not only on the mentality of the players, but also their elite skill. For example, striker Ousmane Dembele has become one of the best pressing forwards in world football, something that felt improbable during his sullen, injury-wrecked time at Barcelona.

Meanwhile, if the midfield press is broken and the defenders are put under pressure, Luis Enrique can feel safe in knowing that young center-back Willian Pacho has emerged as one of the best recovery defenders in the world.

Luis Enrique has curated a winning mentality at PSG

While individual skill is one of the most important aspects of the collective performance at PSG, it's far from the only requirement. In fact, it can't be the only requirement, or game-to-game player availability could ruin the tactical plan before the game even starts.

Such was the case when Pacho was sent off in the Club World Cup quarterfinal against Bayern Munich, leaving him suspended for the final two matches of the tournament. In stepped Lucas Beraldo, and PSG didn't miss a beat in their demolition of Real Madrid.

"The atmosphere is amazing," Beraldo said at PSG training before the Club World Cup final. "Luis Enrique manages everything really well — with every player. He knows how to deal with each of us individually. He’s the key to the unity we have in the dressing room."

It is that togetherness, not the tactics or individual skill, that truly defines this PSG team.

"We’re always ready for any situation," Beraldo added. "Everyone here knows the responsibility that comes with wearing the PSG jersey. When the chance came to play against Real Madrid, I felt ready, and I think I did my job and helped the team."

Every player has been open about the bond that this team has fostered both in the dressing room and on the pitch over the last year.

"We have lived a lot of moments together," young forward Desire Doue said to The Sporting News at PSG training prior to the Club World Cup final. "We have the fortune to be able to go out together and discover different places around the world, so it's really fantastic, and reinforces the link between teammates."

"We think of ourselves as a family," Doue later told DAZN. "We've been through everything together this season, some of us have known each other or played together for years. Today, they're my teammates, they're my brothers, they're my family."

While every team will hammer on about the supposed family atmosphere in their dressing room whether it's true or not, PSG live it on the pitch. The link-up play between PSG players is at times breathtaking, as players ping one-touch passes without looking, able to instead feel where their teammates — no, brothers — are.

Take Fabian Ruiz's second goal against Real Madrid, where Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, and Ousmane Dembele combine seamlessly on the right to send the Madrid defenders into another dimension.

"I think the connection that we have together, how we work and how we connect is amazing," said Hakimi to The Sporting News after the semifinal victory over Real Madrid. "I'm lucky to play in this team."

In reality, it has nothing to do with luck. These players have worked to produce nearly impeccable results, and their coach is the glue which binds their unbreakable connection together.

Kyle Bonn

Kyle Bonn is a Syracuse University broadcast journalism graduate with over a decade of experience covering soccer globally. Kyle specializes in soccer tactics and betting, with a degree in data analytics. Kyle also does TV broadcasts for Wake Forest soccer, and has had previous stops with NBC Soccer and IMG College. When not covering the game, he has long enjoyed loyalty to the New York Giants, Yankees, and Fulham. Kyle enjoys playing racquetball and video games when not watching or covering sports.