🔗 Share this article

“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” says Luis Enrique. The French club's coach has a tricky relationship with how his team’s league matches play out. In PSG's matches, one team presses and the other defends. “I like attacking a low block,” he maintains. “I have the most experience with this tactical scenario. I appreciate the diversity of football approaches. It is a different kind of football from ours, it’s atypical, but I understand and accept it.”

Accepting low blocks isn’t really a choice for PSG; it's their constant situation, due to the skill gap created by budget inequality. Their quality typically shines through and the resistance is overcome with different levels of challenge. However, this campaign has been more challenging.

Game Dominance Yet Limited Returns

The French champions have recorded nearly three-quarters of possession in France's top flight so far this season. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had dominant ball control and made numerous passes, against just under 200 for their opponents. By half-time, Vitinha had 90 contacts with the ball – only six less than the entire Nice team – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the first period ended, opposition defender Bah, whose header was cleared off the line by his teammate, had come closest to scoring.

This match wasn't an exception. They had shared points in 75% of their recent Ligue 1 games. They had 71% possession against their opponents, but were needing a late Senny Mayulu equaliser to secure one point. Even with dominant control against their midweek opponents in midweek, they only scored once and were unable to win. Almost one third of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – behind several other French clubs.

Forward Line Struggles

This reflects the particular attention that PSG attract, but also reflects a real issue. Their forwards are not scoring. The French international's 29 strikes last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the continental trophy; Another attacker scored 14 goals in the league; Désiré Doué hit 16 across all tournaments; and Their winter signing scored several times after his mid-season arrival.

He received the Ballon d’Or and, while it is debatable that the French star is indeed the best player in the world, it is hard to dispute that he was not the best player of the last season. He's managed only five strikes in 12 appearances this season. He experienced a hamstring injury while on national team service in September, which caused a conflict between PSG and the French federation that has seen the relationship between the two institutions decline. He was unavailable for around several weeks of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. Post-match against their rivals, he was seen clutching his hamstring. “It's very painful,” he told fellow player Hakimi.

Player Availability

The PSG coach says Dembélé will be fit to face their European opponents this week in the continental tournament but, while he regains his form, teammates must contribute. It won’t be Doué. The former Rennes forward was also injured in recently. He was returning to his best when he was struck down with another muscle issue, which is likely to keep him out until the new year. The Georgian is a important contributor to his team but he often excels mainly for the crucial games in the European stage; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s highest goal-getter in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight appearances and is in a goal drought. A player who scores in bursts, the scoring will surely resume, but he can’t be expected to be the goalscorer in this expensively assembled PSG attack.

The Portuguese striker got the decisive goal against Nice but will he keep his place in the team?

That was the job given to their striker when he arrived in last year. Their number nine reached the milestone of 100 matches for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in the majority of those appearances. With nearly half his total after being introduced from the bench, he has very much assumed the role of the “impact player”, somewhat owing to his lack of impact when selected, but primarily because of his coach's hesitation to start with a traditional striker. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? The simple reason is I come off the bench more than I start,” quipped Ramos after the match.

Decisive Period

With their attack struggling across the frontline, the match-winning strike has given his manager food for thought. Their number nine missed three chances before converting his next and securing the victory, but the fact that PSG’s best chances were created for him is telling. He's a natural goal scorer and that is what PSG were buying when they made a significant investment. “His role is vital for us because he is continuously available for every match, regardless of his starting status,” said Luis Enrique. “Short cameos from the striker are quality minutes.” It may be time for the super-sub to play a major 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

Table Position

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