Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is reaching new heights as PSG’s man for Champions League nights
Paris Saint-Germain have so many glittering attackers it can be easy to miss the contribution of one of their most important players.
There was so much to marvel at during last week’s encounter between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia’s brace-scoring performance got lost in the post-match discussion. Without the Georgian’s contribution, though, the defending European champions might not have edged the nine-goal thriller.
Kvaratskhelia, nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ both for ease of pronunciation and other obvious reasons, has been PSG’s main man for the big European games this season. Indeed, the winger has scored 10 goals in just 14 Champions League appearances, meaning only Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane have scored more goals than him in the competition this season.
From his position on the left side of arguably the most dangerous frontline in European football, Kvaratskhelia is a difference-maker in a unique mould. While so many of the Georgian’s teammates are defined by their hustle and bustle, Kvaratskhelia has a languid quality that makes him unflappable in the final third.
This was evident in his two finishes in the 5-4 win over Bayern Munich in last week’s Champions League semi-final first leg. The first one saw Kvaratskhelia take on Josip Stanišić before slowing himself to bend a shot into the far corner of the net, demonstrating the winger’s one-on-one ability.
The second finish to give PSG a two-goal cushion at 4-2 was a strike that might have looked straightforward at first, but it would have been easy for Kvaratskhelia to balloon his shot over the crossbar. Achraf Hakimi’s cut-back arrived at his feet with speed and it was impressive that the finish was so controlled under such intense pressure.
While languid in his body language, Kvaratskhelia has fully bought into Luis Enrique’s methods since making the move to the Parc des Princes from Napoli in January 2025. At the time, there were concerns over the Georgian’s ability and willingness to press from the front. For Napoli, he’d been afforded more freedom than many of his teammates due to his quality.
Enrique, however, expects all members of his PSG team to play with the highest intensity. He tolerates no passengers and Kvaratskhelia is an important part of PSG’s pressing structure, making three defensive contributions in the Champions League victory over Bayern Munich.
It’s with the ball at his feet, though, that Kvaratskhelia does the most damage. That’s where he does his best work. No PSG player is averaging more dribblers per 90 minutes this season than the 25-year-old who gives the French giants a slightly different dimension in the attacking third.
While Ousmane Dembélé and Désiré Doué frequently play close together, linking up quickly through zipped passes that allow PSG to construct possession sequences through the centre of the pitch, Kvaratskhelia likes to separate himself on the left side. He wants to isolate an opposition defender when everyone else is focused on what’s happening in the middle.
When PSG are flowing, as they were for the majority of last week’s encounter with Harry Kane and co., they are almost impossible to stop. This is particularly the case when Hakimi joins the attacking unit from right back, giving the opposition another player to cover when Dembélé, Doué and Kvaratskhelia are a handful as it is.
Hakimi’s absence through injury could force Enrique into a slightly more pragmatic approach for Wednesday’s rematch at the Allianz Arena. PSG don’t have another player who can perform the right back role like the Moroccan does because there might not be another player in world football capable of that.
Bayern Munich might also shuffle their defensive pack to add more recovery speed in an attempt to close up some of the space PSG exploited at the Parc des Princes. Stanišić had a torrid time defending against Kvaratskhelia and it’s possible Vincent Kompany will favour Konrad Laimer for the second leg.
Nonetheless, Kvaratskhelia could be a match-winner for the defending European champions. On a pitch that will include some of the best players in the world at this moment in time, the Georgian could shine brighter than anyone else if last week’s first leg performance is anything to go by.
“Khvicha has been at a high level all season,” said Enrique when asked about the standard being set by Kvaratskhelia for his team. “I’m not speaking about his quality because everyone knows about that. But I’m talking about his character, the way he defends, regardless of the fixture. So that is really important.”
In a team of superstars, Kvaratskhelia stands out. He is both a reflection of the modern game in the way he presses and a throwback to another era of the sport when mercurial dribblers were more common at the elite level. There’s something inherently captivating about watching him play.
(Images from IMAGO)
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