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“The situation is both pleasing and irritating,” states the team's head coach. The PSG boss has a complicated relationship with how his team’s league matches play out. In PSG's matches, one team presses and the other defends. “I enjoy facing defensive setups,” he maintains. “It is the phase of play that I am most familiar with. I am very respectful of how other teams play. It is a different kind of football from ours, it’s atypical, but I understand and accept it.”

Facing defensive teams is unavoidable for PSG; it's their constant situation, due to the skill gap created by financial imbalance. Their talent usually tells and the low-block is unlocked with varying degrees of difficulty. Yet this term has proven more difficult.

Control of the Ball But Insufficient Results

The French champions have recorded 72.5% possession in Ligue 1 so far this season. Against Nice on Saturday, they had over 76% possession and made 760 passes, versus just Nice's 182. By half-time, the Portuguese midfielder had numerous ball contacts – merely six short than the complete opposition side – but PSG failed to convert their control. At halftime, Nice defender Juma Bah, whose close-range effort was saved by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, had nearly scored.

This match wasn't an exception. They had shared points in three out of four Ligue 1 games. They had 71% possession against their opponents, but were reliant on a last-minute tying goal from Mayulu to salvage a point. Although possessing dominant control against Lorient in midweek, they found the net only once and were finally tied. 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 reflects the special treatment that PSG receive, but also indicates a genuine problem. Their goal scorers are underperforming. Ousmane Dembélé’s 29 goals last season contributed to PSG's Ligue 1 and the Champions League; Bradley Barcola scored 14 occasions in the league; Another offensive player hit 16 in all competitions; and The Georgian international scored eight after his mid-season arrival.

He received the prestigious award and, while it is debatable that the France international 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 goals in 12 appearances this season. He encountered a thigh issue while on national team service in last month, which gave rise to a blame game between PSG and the French federation that has seen the relationship between the two institutions deteriorate. The player was absent for 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. “The pain is intense,” he told teammate Achraf Hakimi.

Player Availability

The PSG coach says Dembélé will be fit to face their European opponents this week in the continental tournament but, while he gets back up to speed, squad members need to perform. Unfortunately, Doué cannot help. The promising talent was also injured in the same month. He was just getting back to his best when he was struck down with another thigh injury, which is expected to rule him out until the new year. Their winger is a valuable player to his team but he often saves his best performances for the crucial games in the European stage; he is yet to score in Ligue 1 this season. Another forward, PSG’s leading marksman in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight matches and is in a fallow period. Something of a purple-patch forward, the scoring will surely resume, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this costly PSG attack.

Their center forward found the match-winner against Nice but will he remain in the lineup in the team?

These were the expectations assigned to their striker when he arrived in 2023. The international forward achieved the landmark of 100 games for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in more than half of those appearances. Having scored nearly half his total after coming on as a substitute, he has very much assumed the role of the “impact player”, partially due to his limited contribution when picked, but mainly owing to his boss's unwillingness to begin with a conventional No 9. “Why do I score so many goals off the bench? The simple reason is my appearances are mainly from the bench,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Turning Point

With the goals drying up across the attacking unit, Ramos’ last-gasp winner has given his boss decisions to make. The striker was unsuccessful with earlier attempts before scoring his final and winning the match, but the fact that their prime opportunities fell to him is telling. His finishing is instinctive and that is what PSG were buying when they made a significant investment. “His role is vital for us because he is continuously available for every match, regardless of his starting status,” said the manager. “Even brief appearances from Gonçalo are quality minutes.” Perhaps now is the opportunity for the impact substitute 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

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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