After being forced to play defence against attack and weather an early Arsenal storm, Paris Saint-Germain ultimately made fairly light work of booking their spot in the Champions League final on Wednesday night, raining on the Gunners’ parade with a 3-1 aggregate win. And while Declan Rice was the toast of the quarter-final triumph over Real Madrid, the Englishman is now feeling a bit of heat from the French press.
Heading into the business end of the competition, Luis Enrique was no doubt fully briefed on the sort of trouble Rice can stir up. Normally stationed as a deep-lying midfield anchor - tasked with shielding the defence and snuffing out danger - he’s also carved out a name for himself as a late-arriving threat in the opposition box. Add his set-piece deliveries to the mix, and it’s no surprise he’s been serving up headaches for Premier League defences all season.
There’s no denying that Rice is among the crème de la crème of modern midfielders, but against the French heavyweights - who, like Arsenal, are still chasing their maiden Champions League crown - his influence was largely watered down. Credit, of course, must go to PSG’s midfield engine room, who served him a taste of his own medicine.
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Declan Rice Struggled To Stamp His Authority At Parc des Princes
"He had less influence as the minutes went by, falling victim to Neves and Ruiz in midfield"
Rice (1)
As the stats sure show, it wasn't a Rice magnum opus that his adoring supporters have become accustomed to in the City of Lights. While the French media were swift to critique the England international’s muted performance, they were equally fair in crediting PSG’s midfield, who turned in a standout display of their own. Maxifoot handed Rice a 4.5/10 match rating, as they wrote:
"A disappointment for the Gunners. The midfielder started well with a strong press and forward runs, but also a huge pass to Barcola. But he had less influence as the minutes went by, falling victim to Joao Neves and Fabian Ruiz in midfield."
Footmercato, meanwhile, described how, early on, they were expecting to see another Rice masterclass, but how PSG's midfield ensured he would soon be thwarted. Also handing him another 4.5 rating, they continued:
"We quickly thought we were seeing the Rice from the first leg against Real Madrid, dominating in midfield, well launched by a header that went a few centimeters wide (2nd).
"But if he was the author of a heroic comeback in front of Bradley Barcola (30th), his match was difficult, the Englishman having difficulty containing the countless runs of João Neves behind him."
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L'Equipe noted that it was very much a case of a game of two halves for Rice, and gave him a 5/10: "Declan Rice delivered a strong box-to-box performance in the first period, standing out both by his defensive returns (like the one on Bradley Barcola in the 30th) and by his projections (like when he surprisingly found himself on the right wing in the 36th)."
They added: "But after the break, his influence on the match decreased significantly," while GFFN also mirrored that rating but didn't give an explanation.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore (correct as of 08/05/2025)