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“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” states the team's head coach. The PSG boss has a tricky relationship with how his squad's league matches play out. Whenever the Parisians play, one team goes forward and the other protects. “Breaking down deep defenses appeals to me,” he maintains. “This is the game situation I know best. I appreciate the diversity of football approaches. Though unconventional compared to our style, I acknowledge and welcome it.”

Dealing with deep defenses isn’t really a choice for PSG; it's their constant situation, because of the skill gap created by financial imbalance. Their quality typically shines through and the resistance is overcome with mixed ease. Yet this term has proven more difficult.

Control of the Ball Yet Poor Results

The French champions have recorded 72.5% possession in Ligue 1 so far this season. Against Nice on Saturday, they had dominant ball control and made over 750 passes, versus just under 200 for their opponents. By half-time, Vitinha had numerous ball contacts – just six fewer than the complete opposition side – but PSG struggled to make their domination tell. When the first period ended, opposition defender Bah, whose close-range effort was saved by a PSG player, had nearly scored.

This performance wasn't isolated. PSG had drawn three out of four Ligue 1 games. They had 71% possession against the visiting team, but were reliant on a dying moments tying goal from Mayulu to earn a draw. Although possessing dominant control against their midweek opponents in midweek, they found the net only once and were ultimately held to a draw. Almost one third of the way into the season, PSG are ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – behind Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Attacking Unit Struggles

This stems from the particular attention that PSG attract, but also indicates a serious concern. Their goal scorers are underperforming. Their star forward's 29 scores last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the Champions League; Bradley Barcola scored 14 goals in the league; The talented youngster hit 16 across all tournaments; and The Georgian international scored several times after his winter transfer.

Dembélé won the prestigious award and, while it is debatable that the French star is indeed the best player in the world, it is challenging to deny that he was not the best player of the last season. He's managed only five strikes in 12 appearances this season. He encountered a thigh issue while on international duty in September, which led to a dispute between PSG and the French federation that has seen the ties between both parties deteriorate. The player was absent for around six weeks of action as a result, but he hasn't fully recovered. Following the victory against Nice, he was seen touching his muscle. “The pain is intense,” he told teammate Achraf Hakimi.

Injury Concerns

Luis Enrique says Dembélé will be fit to face their European opponents this week in the European competition but, while he regains his form, squad members need to perform. It won’t be Doué. The young attacker was also hurt in recently. He was just getting back to his best when he was struck down with another muscle issue, which is expected to rule him out until next month. Their winger is a important contributor to his team but he often saves his best performances for the big occasions in the Champions League; he is yet to score in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s highest goal-getter in all competitions this season, has just one goal in his last eight games and is in a fallow period. A player who scores in bursts, the goals will undoubtedly return, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this expensively assembled PSG attack.

The Portuguese striker found the match-winner against Nice but will he keep his place in the team?

This was the role assigned to the Portuguese when he arrived in 2023. The international forward achieved the landmark of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has been a substitute in the majority of those appearances. Recording nearly half his total after entering as a replacement, he has very much assumed the role of the “super-sub”, partly because of his ineffectiveness when selected, but mostly due to his coach's hesitation to field a out-and-out forward. “Why do I score so many goals off the bench? The simple reason is I'm substituted in more often than I begin games,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Decisive Period

As scoring has decreased across the frontline, his late decisive goal has given his coach something to consider. The striker failed to convert several opportunities before converting his next and securing the victory, but the fact that their prime opportunities were created for him is telling. He's a natural goal scorer and that is what PSG were investing in when they invested €65m. “He's a crucial squad member for us because he is continuously available for every match, even if he begins on the bench,” said the manager. “Five minutes of Gonçalo on the pitch are productive periods.” It may be time for the impact substitute to play a major part.

Domestic Competition Results

• 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
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