🔗 Share this article

“The situation is both pleasing and irritating,” states the PSG manager. The Paris Saint-Germain manager has a complex relationship with how his squad's league matches unfold. In PSG's matches, one team attacks and the other protects. “Breaking down deep defenses appeals to me,” he insists. “This is the game situation I know best. I respect opponents' playing styles. It is a different kind of football from ours, it’s atypical, but I understand and accept it.”

Accepting low blocks isn't optional for PSG; it is simply their reality, due to the talent imbalance created by economic disparity. Their quality typically shines through and the low-block is unlocked with varying degrees of difficulty. But it has been tougher this season.

Control of the Ball However Insufficient Results

The Parisians have maintained 72.5% possession in France's top flight so far this season. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had 76.5% of the ball and made numerous passes, compared to just 182 for Nice. By half-time, the Portuguese midfielder had 90 touches of the ball – merely six short than the complete opposition side – but PSG struggled to make their domination tell. When the first period ended, the visiting team's defender, whose goal-bound attempt was blocked by a PSG player, had nearly scored.

This performance wasn't isolated. PSG had drawn three out of four Ligue 1 games. With 71% ball control against their opponents, but were needing a dying moments Mayulu leveler to salvage a point. Even with dominant control against another French side in midweek, they only scored once and were ultimately held to a draw. Nearly a third of the way into the season, PSG are just fifth in scoring in Ligue 1 – trailing multiple domestic rivals.

Strike Force Struggles

This stems from the special treatment that PSG attract, but also reflects a real issue. Their forwards are not scoring. Their star forward's 29 strikes last season aided in securing Ligue 1 and the European Cup; Bradley Barcola scored 14 occasions in the league; The talented youngster hit 16 total goals; and Their winter signing scored eight goals after his winter transfer.

He received the Ballon d’Or and, while it is contestable that the French star is indeed the best player in the world, it is difficult to argue that he was not the outstanding individual of the last season. He's managed only five strikes in 12 matches this season. He suffered a thigh issue while on country representation in early autumn, which gave rise to a blame game between PSG and the France team that has seen the connection between club and country deteriorate. Dembélé missed around a month and a half of action as a result, but he hasn't fully recovered. After the win over Nice, he was seen holding his thigh. “It's very painful,” he told club colleague.

Player Availability

Their manager says the forward should be available to face their European opponents this week in the continental tournament but, while he returns to full fitness, squad members need to perform. It won’t be Doué. The former Rennes forward was also injured in September. He was recovering to his best when he was affected by another thigh injury, which is likely to keep him out until the new year. Kvaratskhelia is a important contributor to his team but he often reserves his top displays for the important matches in the continental competition; he is still without a goal in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s highest goal-getter in all competitions this season, has just one score in his last eight appearances and is in a fallow period. An attacker with hot streaks, the form will certainly come back, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this costly PSG attack.

The Portuguese striker scored the winner against Nice but will he maintain his position in the team?

That was the job assigned to their striker when he joined in last year. The international forward hit the century of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in over 50% of those appearances. With nearly half his total after entering as a replacement, he has effectively embraced the role of the “finisher”, somewhat owing to his lack of impact when selected, but primarily because of his coach's hesitation to field a out-and-out forward. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? Well, simply because my appearances are mainly from the bench,” quipped Ramos after the match.

Critical Moment

With the goals drying up across the frontline, the match-winning strike has given his boss decisions to make. The centre-forward failed to convert several opportunities before scoring his final and winning the match, but the fact that the team's clearest openings were created for him is telling. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were acquiring when they made a significant investment. “He is a very important player for us because he is constantly prepared for every match, regardless of his starting status,” said their coach. “Five minutes of Gonçalo on the pitch are valuable time.” The moment might have come for the super-sub to play a leading part.

Domestic Competition Outcomes

• Rennes 4-1 Strasbourg
• Lens 3-0 Lorient
• Lille 1-0 Angers
• Nantes 0-2 Metz
• Toulouse 0-0 Le Havre
• Brest 0-0 Lyon
• PSG 1-0 Nice
• Monaco 0-1 Paris FC
• Auxerre 0-1 Marseille

Current Rankings

Position	Team	Played	Goal Difference	Points
1	PSG	11	12	24
2	Marseille	11	14	22
3	Lens	11	7	22
4	Lille	11	10	20
5	Monaco	11	6	20
6	Lyon	11	4	20
7	Strasbourg	11	6	19
8	Nice	11	0	17
9	Toulouse	11	2	15
10	Rennes	11	1	15
11