Complete Tactical Profile of PSG Forward Angel Di Maria

Paris Saint-Germain signed Angel Di Maria from Manchester United in summer 2015 after the Argentinian had endured a difficult season at Old Trafford, but the former Benfica man would quickly forget about his time in England and enjoyed a tremendous season in Ligue 1.

There were debates around the French capital, wondering where the former Real Madrid star would start in Laurent Blanc’s 4-3-3 formation.

He played in Madrid’s midfield, so he could have easily slipped in beside Blaise Matuidi and Marco Verratti, but as soon as he made his debut, it was clear where Blanc wanted to play him.

Lucas Moura started the away fixture against Monaco in late August 2015, but with 24 minutes to go, Di Maria made his bow, and we instantly got a glimpse into what was about to come.

Only on the pitch for a matter of moments, Di Maria cut inside from the right and pinged a dangerous pass over the top toward Ezequiel Lavezzi. It didn’t come off, but the Argentinian duo wouldn’t be denied.

With seven minutes to go, once again Di Maria cut in onto his left foot. This time, the ball beat the Monaco back line and reached its target. Lavezzi was through one-on-one and sealed the 3-0 victory at the Stade Louis II.

It was clear from that game that Di Maria was about to put his time in England behind him and was ready to add to an already dangerous PSG attack.

Throughout the season, Blanc mostly played Di Maria on the right of the three-man attack. His threat would come from that move inside onto his left foot. Able to pick a variety of passes, he can look over the top, slip a reverse pass inside or curl a dangerous cross into the box.

He isn't limited to just picking apart defences with his passes. His superb movement and the danger he presents with the ball at his feet would see defences sometimes stand off him, and Di Maria would punish them by scoring one of his 10 league goals.

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

The 28-year-old also brought a new level of desire, drive and athleticism to the team. Just after his debut, he scored his first goal for the club, against Malmo FF in the Champions League.

Bursting past the defence, he drove inside the box before finding the finish at the near post. It showed another side to his game and something we would see more of as the season progressed.

What Di Maria also brought to the team was that danger down the right that opened up space for Serge Aurier from right-back. Moving into the middle of the park, he drew players away from the channels, meaning the Ivorian defender was able to burst down the right.

Before his social media outburst, Aurier was enjoying a much-improved season. A lot of that has to go down to the threat of Di Maria.

Although the Argentinian is naturally left-footed, whenever Blanc would try and mix it up, using him on the left, he never looked quite as effective.

Unable to cut inside to create space, he doesn't quite have the pace needed to get to the byline on that flank. He often looks trapped, and it is clear his home is on the right.

Perhaps his best performance in Ligue 1 came in the 5-1 destruction of Olympique Lyonnais at the Parc des Princes in December 2015. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice, but it was Di Maria’s talismanic display that ripped the heart out of OL.

His curling free-kick found Aurier to make it 2-0. It was the perfect delivery from the left. It had just enough height to beat the first man, and the pace and whip kept it away from goalkeeper Anthony Lopes and made it easy for the defender to add the finishing touch.

What makes him so difficult to defend is his ability to drift and find space. His second assist came from the left. Unmarked outside the box, his little dinked pass picked out Edinson Cavani just eight yards from goal to put the home side 3-1 up.

His amazing performance was capped off in injury time. A Lyon corner was cleared to the edge of the box, and Di Maria gathered the ball. Without any hesitation, he turned and began sprinting up the pitch.

It showed great energy and stamina in the dying moments of the game, plus the desire to still want to attack although his team were 4-1 ahead.

He burst up the pitch, crossed the halfway line and then slipped Brazilian Lucas through on goal. The former Sao Paulo man added the fierce finish, and PSG sealed a 5-1 win, with Di Maria creating three goals.

That ability and determination to burst up the pitch became a feature of PSG’s play on the break. No longer did they have to rely on the creativity of Ibrahimovic. The Swede’s legs may not be what they once were, but with Di Maria in the lineup, it wasn’t as noticeable as it had been the previous season.

Zlatan could let the others break away without him, and PSG looked a much more threatening team on the counter. It meant that when teams did decide to try and attack, they left themselves open to a much bigger threat, helping Di Maria pick up 18 assists in the league.

He will perhaps be a little disappointed with his contributions in the Champions League. He only scored twice more after his goal against Malmo and was mostly invisible as the Parisians were eliminated by Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium in the quarter-finals.

That return to Manchester should have been a chance to show the Premier League what it was missing, but a poor showing contributed to PSG’s exit.

Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Again, just like his goal tally, he only managed two assists in Europe. One did come in the crucial away victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the round of 16, but that would be the highlight of his Champions League campaign.

That is an obvious area where he can improve next season.

"I think he can bring more," Blanc said at a news conference back in January.

He continued:

"

When you have a new foreign player who arrives in a country he does not know, it's not that easy.

He has adapted well. I think the city of Paris and the French mentality suit him. That is certainly what he told me.

He is a boy who will feel more at ease when he masters the language, on and off the field.

"

There was a dip in form around January and February, but in April and May, he added nine assists in eight games.

With Ibrahimovic’s departure, there will be more pressure on Di Maria next season. But as Blanc said, with more time to settle and to learn the language, he is set to be PSG’s star again next season and an integral part of how they play—regardless of what the system is or who the coach may be.