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“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” says the team's head coach. The Paris Saint-Germain manager has a tricky relationship with how his team’s league matches unfold. In PSG's matches, one team attacks and the other sits back. “I enjoy facing defensive setups,” he maintains. “It is the phase of play that I am most familiar with. I appreciate the diversity of football approaches. Though unconventional compared to our style, I acknowledge and welcome it.”

Facing defensive teams isn't optional for PSG; it's their constant situation, due to the quality difference created by economic disparity. Their talent usually tells and the defensive wall is broken with varying degrees of difficulty. Yet this term has proven more difficult.

Dominant Possession Yet Limited Results

PSG have averaged 72.5% possession in Ligue 1 so far this term. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had dominant ball control and made numerous passes, versus just Nice's 182. At the interval, their playmaker had 90 touches of the ball – just six fewer than the whole Nice squad – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the first period ended, opposition defender Bah, whose close-range effort was saved by his teammate, had come closest to scoring.

This match wasn't an exception. They had shared points in three of their previous four Ligue 1 games. Dominating possession with 71% against their opponents, but were dependent on a last-minute Senny Mayulu equaliser to secure one point. And, despite having dominant control against Lorient in midweek, they managed just one goal and were unable to win. Nearly a third of the way into the season, PSG are ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – behind several other French clubs.

Strike Force Issues

This stems from the unique approach that PSG garner, but also shows a serious concern. Their forwards are not scoring. Ousmane Dembélé’s 29 strikes last season contributed to PSG's Ligue 1 and the continental trophy; Another attacker scored 14 times in the league; Another offensive player hit 16 in all competitions; and Kvaratskhelia scored several times after his mid-season arrival.

The forward claimed the Ballon d’Or and, while it is arguable that the French star is indeed the best player in the world, it is challenging to deny that he was not the best player of the previous term. He's managed only five goals in 12 appearances this season. He encountered a hamstring injury while on international duty in early autumn, which led to a conflict between PSG and the national squad that has seen the ties between both parties decline. The player was absent for around a month and a half of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. Following the victory against Nice, he was seen touching his muscle. “It's very painful,” he told teammate Achraf Hakimi.

Injury Concerns

Luis Enrique says Dembélé will be fit to face their European opponents this week in the European competition but, while he regains his form, other players have to step up. It won’t be Doué. The promising talent was also hurt in September. He was returning to his best when he was suffered another muscle issue, which is likely to keep him out until the new year. The Georgian is a valuable player to his team but he often reserves his top displays for the big occasions in the continental competition; he is still without a goal 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 appearances and is in a dry spell. A player who scores in bursts, the scoring will surely resume, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this expensively assembled PSG attack.

Gonçalo Ramos got the decisive goal against Nice but will he remain in the lineup in the team?

These were the expectations assigned to the Portuguese when he arrived in last year. The Portugal striker hit the century of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in more than half of those appearances. Recording a significant portion after being introduced from the bench, he has clearly taken on the role of the “finisher”, partially due to his limited contribution when starting, but mainly owing to his manager’s reluctance to start with a traditional striker. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? Basically because I'm substituted in more often than I begin games,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Turning Point

With their attack struggling across the attacking unit, his late decisive goal has given his manager food for thought. The centre-forward failed to convert several opportunities before taking his fourth and deciding the game, but the fact that their prime opportunities fell to him is significant. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were acquiring when they made a significant investment. “He is a very important player for us because he is always ready for every match, whether he starts or not,” said the manager. “Short cameos from the striker are productive periods.” Perhaps now is the opportunity for the bench specialist to play a leading part.

Domestic Competition 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

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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