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“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” states the team's head coach. The French club's coach has a tricky relationship with how his squad's league matches play out. When PSG are involved, one team goes forward and the other sits back. “I like attacking a low block,” he insists. “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.”

Accepting low blocks is unavoidable for PSG; this is their regular experience, a result of the skill gap created by economic disparity. Their quality typically shines through and the defensive wall is broken with different levels of challenge. Yet this term has proven more difficult.

Control of the Ball Yet Poor Returns

The Parisians have maintained 72.5% possession in the French league so far this season. Against Nice on Saturday, they had 76.5% of the ball and made numerous passes, against just Nice's 182. By half-time, the Portuguese midfielder had 90 contacts with the ball – merely six short than the complete opposition side – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the whistle blew for the interval, opposition defender Bah, whose goal-bound attempt was blocked by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, had nearly scored.

This match wasn't an exception. PSG had drawn 75% of their recent Ligue 1 games. Dominating possession with 71% against their opponents, but were needing a late tying goal from Mayulu to salvage a point. Even with 77% of the ball 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 ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – trailing Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Strike Force Issues

This stems from the special treatment that PSG garner, but also indicates a serious concern. Their attackers are struggling. Ousmane Dembélé’s 29 goals last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the European Cup; Bradley Barcola scored 14 occasions in the league; Another offensive player hit 16 in all competitions; and The Georgian international scored eight after his January move.

He received the golden ball 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 outstanding individual of the previous term. He's recorded merely five goals in 12 appearances this season. He encountered a muscle problem while on national team service in early autumn, which led to a conflict between PSG and the France team that has seen the connection between club and country deteriorate. Dembélé missed around six weeks of action as a result, but he appears below his best. Post-match against their rivals, he was seen touching his muscle. “It's very painful,” he told fellow player Hakimi.

Fitness Issues

The PSG coach says their star can play to face the German giants this week in the Champions League but, while he gets back up to speed, teammates must contribute. Unfortunately, Doué cannot help. The promising talent was also hurt in recently. He was recovering to his best when he was struck down with another muscle issue, which is expected to rule him out until next month. Kvaratskhelia is a valuable player to his team but he often saves his best performances for the crucial games in the European stage; he is still without a goal in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s leading marksman in all competitions this season, has just one goal in his last eight appearances and is in a goal drought. An attacker with hot streaks, the scoring will surely resume, but he can’t be expected to be the goalscorer in this high-priced PSG attack.

Gonçalo Ramos found the match-winner against Nice but will he maintain his position in the team?

This was the role given to Gonçalo Ramos when he joined in 2023. Their number nine reached the milestone of 100 matches for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in more than half of those appearances. With 18 of his 38 goals after being introduced from the bench, he has very much assumed the role of the “impact player”, somewhat owing to his limited contribution when selected, but mostly due to his manager’s reluctance to begin with a conventional No 9. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? The simple reason is I come off the bench more than I start,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Critical Moment

As scoring has decreased across the frontline, his late decisive goal has given his boss decisions to make. Their number nine failed to convert several opportunities before scoring his final and securing the victory, but the fact that the team's clearest openings fell to him is telling. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were buying when they made a significant investment. “He's a crucial squad member for us because he is continuously available for every match, even if he begins on the bench,” said Luis Enrique. “Short cameos from the striker are quality minutes.” It may be time for the impact substitute to play a leading part.

Domestic Competition Matches

• 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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