In The Zone: How Achraf Hakimi inspired Paris to Arsenal win
Thursday, May 8, 2025
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UEFA Technical Observer Aitor Karanka explains how Achraf Hakimi proved one of Paris' most impressive players in their UEFA Champions League semi-final win over Arsenal.
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For only the second time in this season's UEFA Champions League, Paris Saint-Germain had less possession than their opponents on Wednesday night. Yet while they saw less of the ball than usual, their excellence on transitions proved pivotal in the 2-1 semi-final second-leg victory against Arsenal.
UEFA's Technical Observer Group have already highlighted the counterattacking threat of Luis Enrique's team and the following analysis, brought to you by FedEx, offers further examples as well as underlining the impact of Player of the Match Achraf Hakimi.
Paris' attacking transitions prove key
In his assessment afterwards, Luis Enrique described this as a "different match" for his side. Only at Bayern in November had they seen less of the ball (42%). In their seven previous games at the Parc des Princes, moreover, they had recorded at least a 60% share of possession.
UEFA Technical Observer Aitor Karanka noted that their first-leg win in London was a factor as he said: "You could see that part of the plan was knowing Arsenal would come at them and they'd be well organised defensively and know what to do in those moments they won it back.
"Arsenal attacked with intensity from the start and were very good on set pieces. The onus was on them to take risks but when you have players up front with the speed of the Paris players and the quality they have in midfield, it meant that when they had the chance of a transition, they often created danger."
The video above begins with a first-half transition that illustrates the hosts' speed on the counter and yields an opportunity for Bradley Barcola. The first aspect to consider is how Paris' front players press, starting with Désiré Doué on their left and continuing as Barcola and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia close down Myles Lewis-Skelly, limiting his options and prompting the misdirected pass.
Fabián Ruiz then has the vision, awareness and ability to execute a first-time through ball for Kvaratskhelia. From an Arsenal perspective, meanwhile, look at the superb recovery from Declan Rice, racing back to deny Barcola.
Hakimi's match-winning impact
Hakimi is the focus of the second clip, which features the goal he scored for 2-0 after Kvaratskhelia's driving run. This is a Paris team with a two-goal aggregate lead at this point yet here is their right-back joining the attack, competing for the ball inside the D and then producing a wonderful finish despite the red shirts around him.
As well as his third goal of this European campaign, Hakimi ranked second among all players on the pitch for most tackles (five) and was the Paris player with most ball carries with 11.
"He is an important part of the transitions with his power and speed," added Karanka, pointing out that Hakimi achieved more high-intensity runs than any other player on the pitch (1.2km). We see an example in the third clip as he surges forward from deep, his run opening space for Kvaratskhelia who cuts inside before combining with Ruiz to create a chance for Ousmane Dembélé.
Karanka's coaching reflections: Attacking transitions
What lessons can a coach learn from Paris' high-speed transitions? The first, according to Karanka, is the need for speed. "For transitions, speed is fundamental and we see increasingly more quick and powerful players," he said. "If you look at Paris it's not just the forwards – they have a very powerful player in midfield like Fabián Ruiz, João Neves is very fast, and especially the full-backs Nuno Mendes and Hakimi are really rapid."
Another key factor is organisation, Karanka explaining: "If you're not well organised defensively, it's difficult to regain the ball and therefore you need to work on your defensive organisation so that you can win it back. In the defensive phase, your attacking players need to be switched on so that once the ball is won, they’re able to react straight away.
"So that's something to underline when working with young players: they need to be attentive and alert. The last thing is that this isn't just about your attacking players – you need to convince all your players that they've got a role to play and Hakimi is a great example of that."
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