Paris Saint-Germain find themselves in familiar territory after their midweek defeat to Bayern Munich as the team is too strong for their domestic rivals in France in Champions League contention. However, this time there may be a difference: while PSG often fail to live up to their potential in Europe, this season they are not looking nearly as good as the best teams on the continent. Luis Enrique’s side posed little attacking threat in Tuesday’s 1-0 defeat to Munich, which was blamed on goalkeeper Matfei Safonov. Ousmane Dembele was sent.
PSG have just four points and have suffered three defeats from five Champions League matches, meaning they are 25th out of 36 teams.
That leaves them one place and two points outside the qualifying places for the knockout stages of February’s play-offs, and they are certain to have to win at least two of their three remaining matches to avoid relegation.
Such a fragile position means that Luis Enrique is naturally in the firing line, with doubts about his tactics. “Method has no effect,” read the headline in sports newspaper L’Equipe on Thursday.
In particular, his tendency to play without a centre-forward after leaving Kylian Mbappe and the loss of Goncalo Ramos to injury.
Randal Kolo Muani, the big-money signing expected to take over after Mbappe’s departure, has become a pariah.
France regular Kolo Mouany started just twice this season for PSG and never came on as a substitute against Bayern.
However, in five Champions League matches, PSG scored only three goals, one of which was an own goal.
“Being coach of PSG is a privilege. The pressure I put on myself exceeds any external pressure,” said Luis Enrique in Munich.
“I’m not here to pass the time. My goal is to win titles and to do it now, not in the future.”
PSG are set to do so domestically as they are unbeaten in Ligue 1 and six points clear of nearest rivals Monaco and host struggling Nantes this weekend.
At home they average three goals per game and Bradley Barcola is their top scorer with 10 goals. They have lost just one of their last 41 Ligue 1 matches.
France’s other Champions League representatives – Monaco, Lille and Brest – are all doing well in Europe, but it doesn’t look good for Ligue 1 that PSG continue to travel at home while working abroad.
The current team is arguably PSG’s weakest team since the first Qatari takeover in 2011/12, with the possible exception of 2016/17.
This last campaign followed Zlatan Ibrahimovicdeparture and was until arrival at the Parc des Princes Neymar and Mbappe.
Monaco led PSG to the title that year and this time again pose the most likely threat to their hegemony.
Player to watch: Hamed Junior Traore
The 24-year-old Ivorian attacking midfielder is undoubtedly Ligue 1’s best player of the season.
Traore joined Auxerre on loan from Bournemouth after spending the second half of last season at Napoli. And he is the main reason why newly promoted Auxerre have spent a third of the season in seventh place.
He has six goals in 10 Ligue 1 matches, including the win over Angers last weekend.
One more match against Toulouse on Sunday and he will record his best tally in a single league season: seven for Sassuolo in Italy in 2021/22.
Basic Statistics
7 – Brest suffered the same number of defeats in Ligue 1 this season as in the entire last campaign.
300 – PSG captain Marquinhos He could make his 300th Ligue 1 appearance this weekend.
3 – Marseille have conceded three goals in each of their last two home matches. They haven’t done that in three consecutive top-flight home matches since 1962.
Fixtures (GMT time)
Friday
Reims vs Lens (1945)
Saturday
Rennes v Saint-Etienne (1600), Brest v Strasbourg (1800), Paris Saint-Germain v Nantes (2000)
Sunday
Montpellier in Lille (1400), Lyon in Nice, Toulouse in Auxerre, Le Havre in Angers (all 1600), Marseille in Monaco (1945)
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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