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“It’s a mix of beauty and frustration,” states the team's head coach. The Paris Saint-Germain manager has a tricky relationship with how his team’s league matches develop. In PSG's matches, one team goes forward and the other defends. “I like attacking a low block,” he insists. “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.”

Dealing with deep defenses isn’t really a choice for PSG; it is simply their reality, because of the skill gap created by financial imbalance. Their quality typically shines through and the defensive wall is broken with mixed ease. However, this campaign has been more challenging.

Control of the Ball But Limited Results

The Parisians have maintained 72.5% possession in the French league so far this season. Versus Nice last weekend, they had 76.5% of the ball and made 760 passes, compared to just Nice's 182. By half-time, Vitinha had 90 contacts with the ball – merely six short than the entire Nice team – but PSG struggled to make their domination tell. When the whistle blew for the interval, opposition defender Bah, whose header was cleared off the line by his teammate, had been the most dangerous.

And this game isn’t an outlier. PSG had drawn three of their previous four Ligue 1 games. They had 71% possession against the visiting team, but were reliant on a last-minute Senny Mayulu equaliser to salvage a point. And, despite having 77% possession against their midweek opponents in midweek, they managed just one goal and were ultimately held to a draw. Nearly a third of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – after Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Attacking Unit Issues

It is a result of the particular attention that PSG garner, but also indicates a real issue. Their forwards are not scoring. Their star forward's 29 scores last season aided in securing Ligue 1 and the Champions League; Another attacker scored 14 goals in the league; Désiré Doué hit 16 total goals; and Their winter signing scored eight after his winter transfer.

Dembélé won the golden ball and, while it is contestable that the national team player is indeed the world's top footballer, it is difficult to argue that he was not the top performer of the 2024-25 campaign. He's recorded merely five strikes in 12 matches this season. He encountered a muscle problem while on country representation in early autumn, which gave rise to a conflict between PSG and the French federation that has seen the ties between both parties worsen. He was unavailable for around a month and a half of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. After the win over Nice, he was seen touching his muscle. “It hurts so much,” he told teammate Achraf Hakimi.

Fitness Issues

Their manager says the forward should be available to face their European opponents this week in the continental tournament but, while he returns to full fitness, other players have to step up. It won’t be Doué. The young attacker was also sidelined in recently. He was just getting back to his best when he was affected by another muscle issue, which is projected to sideline him until next month. Their winger is a massive asset to his team but he often saves his best performances for the big occasions in the European stage; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Another forward, PSG’s top scorer in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight appearances and is in a goal drought. An attacker with hot streaks, the form will certainly come back, but he shouldn't be relied upon to be the goalscorer in this expensively assembled PSG attack.

The Portuguese striker got the decisive goal against Nice but will he keep his place in the team?

This was the role assigned to Gonçalo Ramos when he signed in recently. Their number nine achieved the landmark of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has started on the sidelines in the majority 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”, somewhat owing to his lack of impact when selected, but primarily because of his coach's hesitation to field a conventional No 9. “Why do I score so many goals off the bench? Well, simply because I come off the bench more than I start,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Critical Moment

With their attack struggling across the attacking unit, his late decisive goal has given his manager food for thought. Their number nine was unsuccessful with earlier attempts before scoring his final and deciding the game, but the fact that the team's clearest openings were created for him is revealing. His finishing is instinctive and that is what PSG were investing in when they made a significant investment. “He's a crucial squad member for us because he is continuously available for every match, whether he starts or not,” said their coach. “Five minutes of Gonçalo on the pitch are quality minutes.” The moment might have come for the super-sub to play a starring role.

Domestic Competition 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

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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