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“It’s a mix of beauty and frustration,” says the PSG manager. The French club's coach has a complicated relationship with how his squad's league matches play out. Whenever the Parisians play, one team attacks and the other defends. “Breaking down deep defenses appeals to me,” 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.”

Facing defensive teams isn’t really a choice for PSG; this is their regular experience, a result of the talent imbalance created by economic disparity. Their superior ability generally prevails and the defensive wall is broken with mixed ease. However, this campaign has been more challenging.

Game Dominance But Insufficient Returns

The Parisians have maintained over 72% ball control in Ligue 1 so far this term. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had 76.5% of the ball and made over 750 passes, compared to just under 200 for their opponents. At the interval, the Portuguese midfielder had 90 contacts with the ball – just six fewer than the entire Nice team – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the first period ended, opposition defender Bah, whose close-range effort was saved by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, had nearly scored.

And this game isn’t an outlier. They had shared points in 75% of their recent Ligue 1 games. They had 71% possession against their opponents, but were reliant on a late tying goal from Mayulu to earn a draw. Although possessing dominant control against another French side in midweek, they found the net only once and were finally tied. Almost one third of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – after Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Forward Line Problems

This stems from the particular attention that PSG attract, but also reflects a genuine problem. Their goal scorers are underperforming. Their star forward's 29 scores last season contributed to PSG's Ligue 1 and the Champions League; A young forward scored 14 times in the league; Another offensive player hit 16 in all competitions; and Kvaratskhelia scored eight goals after his mid-season arrival.

The forward claimed the prestigious award and, while it is debatable that the national team player is indeed the best player in the world, it is difficult to argue that he was not the best player of the 2024-25 campaign. He has just five goals in 12 appearances this season. He encountered a muscle problem while on country representation in early autumn, which gave rise to a blame game between PSG and the French federation that has seen the relationship between the two institutions deteriorate. Dembélé missed around a month and a half of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. Post-match against their rivals, he was seen holding his thigh. “It's very painful,” he told club colleague.

Player Availability

Their manager says the forward should be available to face the German giants this week in the continental tournament but, while he regains his form, teammates must contribute. Unfortunately, Doué cannot help. The young attacker was also injured in September. He was returning to his best when he was suffered another leg problem, which is likely to keep him out until the new year. The Georgian is a valuable player to his team but he often saves his best performances for the important matches in the continental competition; he is yet to score in Ligue 1 this season. Another forward, PSG’s highest goal-getter in all competitions this season, has just one goal in his last eight matches and is in a dry spell. A player who scores in bursts, the goals will undoubtedly return, but he shouldn't be relied upon to be the goalscorer in this high-priced PSG attack.

Gonçalo Ramos got the decisive goal against Nice but will he maintain his position in the team?

These were the expectations handed to their striker when he signed in recently. The international forward hit the century of 100 games for PSG against Nice, but he has started on the sidelines in more than half of those appearances. Having scored 18 of his 38 goals after entering as a replacement, he has effectively embraced the role of the “finisher”, somewhat owing to his lack of impact when selected, but primarily because of his manager’s reluctance to begin with a out-and-out forward. “What explains my bench scoring record? The simple reason is my appearances are mainly from the bench,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Critical Moment

With their attack struggling across the attacking unit, the match-winning strike has given his coach something to consider. The striker failed to convert several opportunities before scoring his final and deciding the game, but the fact that PSG’s best chances were created for him is significant. His finishing is instinctive and that is what PSG were buying when they invested €65m. “His role is vital for us because he is always ready for every match, whether he starts or not,” said Luis Enrique. “Five minutes of Gonçalo on the pitch are quality minutes.” The moment might have come for the super-sub to play a leading part.

Ligue 1 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

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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