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“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” states Luis Enrique. The French club's coach has a complex relationship with how his team’s league matches play out. Whenever the Parisians play, one team goes forward and the other sits back. “I like attacking a low block,” he asserts. “This is the game situation I know best. I appreciate the diversity of football approaches. While it differs from our philosophy, I comprehend and embrace it.”

Facing defensive teams is unavoidable for PSG; it's their constant situation, because of the skill gap created by financial imbalance. Their quality typically shines through and the defensive wall is broken with mixed ease. However, this campaign has been more challenging.

Game Dominance However Limited Results

The Parisians have maintained nearly three-quarters of possession in Ligue 1 so far this campaign. Versus Nice last weekend, they had 76.5% of the ball and made numerous passes, compared to just 182 for Nice. At the interval, the Portuguese midfielder had numerous ball contacts – merely six short than the entire Nice team – but PSG failed to convert their control. When the first period ended, Nice defender Juma Bah, whose header was cleared off the line by his teammate, had come closest to scoring.

And this game isn’t an outlier. PSG had drawn 75% of their recent Ligue 1 games. With 71% ball control against Strasbourg, but were reliant on a last-minute tying goal from Mayulu to earn a draw. Although possessing dominant control against Lorient in midweek, they only scored once and were finally tied. Approximately 33% of the way into the season, PSG are ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – behind Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Forward Line Problems

This stems from the particular attention that PSG attract, but also indicates a genuine problem. Their goal scorers are underperforming. The French international's 29 strikes last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the European Cup; Another attacker scored 14 times in the league; Another offensive player hit 16 across all tournaments; and The Georgian international scored eight goals after his mid-season arrival.

The forward claimed the prestigious award and, while it is arguable that the French star is indeed the world's top footballer, it is hard to dispute that he was not the best player of the 2024-25 campaign. He has just five strikes in 12 matches this season. He suffered a hamstring injury while on country representation in last month, which led to a dispute between PSG and the French federation that has seen the connection between club and country deteriorate. The player was absent for around several weeks of action as a result, but he appears below his best. After the win over Nice, he was seen holding his thigh. “It hurts so much,” he told fellow player Hakimi.

Fitness Issues

Their manager says Dembélé will be fit to face the German giants this week in the Champions League but, while he regains his form, squad members need to perform. Sadly, Doué is unavailable. The former Rennes forward was also sidelined in recently. He was recovering to his best when he was struck down with another leg problem, which is projected to sideline him until the new year. The Georgian is a valuable player to his team but he often excels mainly for the important matches in the Champions League; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s top scorer in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight appearances and is in a dry spell. A player who scores in bursts, the form will certainly come back, but he can’t be expected to be the goalscorer in this high-priced PSG attack.

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

This was the role assigned to their striker when he signed in recently. The Portugal striker achieved the landmark of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in the majority of those appearances. Having scored 18 of his 38 goals after entering as a replacement, he has clearly taken on the role of the “impact player”, partly because of his limited contribution when selected, but mainly owing to his boss's unwillingness to field a traditional striker. “What explains my bench scoring record? Basically because I come off the bench more than I start,” joked Ramos after the match.

Turning Point

With their attack struggling across the forward line, the match-winning strike has given his manager food for thought. Their number nine failed to convert several opportunities before scoring his final and deciding the game, but the fact that PSG’s best chances fell to him is revealing. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were buying when they invested €65m. “He is a very important player for us because he is always ready for every match, regardless of his starting status,” said the manager. “Short cameos from the striker are productive periods.” It may be time for the bench specialist to play a major part.

French League 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
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