Against Bayern Munich (0-1), Paris Saint-Germain suffered more than a simple defeat on Tuesday November 27. The semi-finalist of the last edition sinks a little further into the last places in the ranking with a new testimony of helplessness. All against a great European player, a status to which he claims every year. As against Arsenal at the beginning of October (0-2), the step was too high.
Without excuse, Luis Enrique found himself obliged to admit at a press conference that his team's defeat was “deserved”. “We were very inferior to them [en première période]even added the Spanish coach. I'm frustrated because I've never seen my team capable of changing the course of the match.”. His players went from a cruel lack of realism to the inability to provide a credible threat to the opposing goal.
PSG have only scored three goals in their last seven Champions League matches. Never seen before in the history of the club in the most prestigious European competition. But the problem does not only arise when he crosses paths with an opponent belonging to the top of the basket. Since the arrival of Luis Enrique, he has become incapable of spending quiet evenings with the “little ones”. This season, the success against Girona (1-0) was snatched at the very end of the match and the reception of PSV Eindhoven, whose best run in C1 over the last 15 years is a round of 16, ended with a draw (1-1).
Over the two European campaigns led by Luis Enrique, PSG has more defeats than victories (8 defeats, 6 victories, 3 draws). There is reason to wonder about the course of the capital club, having taken it to the semi-finals of the 2023-2024 edition. Was it a trick? Is PSG in the process of being downgraded? “I continue to say that we are a very good team and that we can beat the best teams. We have no luck”downplayed Vitinha at the microphone of Canal +.
Since the summer of 2023, Paris has lost three football legends: Lionel Messi, Neymar, Kylian Mbappé. If these departures do not seem to have the slightest impact on the tyrannical domination of the capital club in Ligue 1, the team is no longer as attractive to the foreign press. Only five German journalists were present for Luis Enrique's pre-match conference on Monday. “Our team is in a very interesting project, focused on the future”nevertheless hammered the Asturian on Tuesday, despite the defeat.
If he makes it clear that he knows where he's going. Today it is difficult to know where the Parisian club is. No headliner has been designated or emerged. Designated as the custodian of the game and the most experienced player in the offensive sector, Ousmane Dembélé is weighed down by his irregularity, and was expelled on Tuesday. Bradley Barcola is still too soft. Named among the vice-captains, Gianluigi Donnarumma spent the evening on the bench in Munich. That leaves defenders Marquinhos and Achraf Hakimi, who it would be incongruous to ask to resolve the team's offensive problems.
Something is missing from this PSG to live up to its own aspirations. But the new formula of the Champions League still offers it three chances to recover. According to Opta, you will need to collect at least 10 points to have a good chance of being part of the play-offs. Two victories in the next three matches (in Salzburg, against Manchester City and in Stuttgart) would allow this total to be reached. We will then have to hope to be a completely different team in February.
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