Paris Saint-Germain is looking for a new identity after the departure of Kylian Mbappé – a horror scenario is looming before the duel with Bayern.
Last Thursday, the Paris Saint-Germain players could hardly believe their eyes. The unusual reason: Heavy snowfall during the inauguration of the new campus in Poissy (west of Paris) made tactical training impossible for Luis Enrique.
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Almost as surprising as the violent onset of winter: Achraf Hakimi and his colleagues still had a lot of fun during an intense snowball fight: at a time when the French champions are running scared.
Even though PSG is once again dominating Ligue1, the pressure in the Champions League ahead of the visit to the Allianz Arena is greater than ever since QSI (Qatar Sports Investment) took over the capital club in May 2011.
PSG and the fear of the horror scenario
Only four points after four matchdays is a bitter interim result for PSG. Now of all times you have to play against a strong FC Bayern (Tuesday, 9 p.m. in the LIVETICKER). And: The last four games of this new league phase include three away games on the program – with a possible “final” on January 29th at VfB Stuttgart.
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No one around the Prinzenpark really wants to imagine an early end.
“PSG still needs about five points to reach the playoffs in February,” said the Brazilian Raí, playmaker for the Parisians between 1993 and 1998 SPORT1.
PSG are having a hard time in the premier class, but “the fact is that they create a lot of clear scoring chances. The only thing missing is efficiency in front of the opponent's goal. That is the biggest drawback. If this problem is not solved in the short term, it will be difficult to finish among the top 24 teams.”
Coach Luis Enrique is aware of this problem, but the Spaniard is stubborn: he wants to continue to field his team without a real nine.
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The ex-Frankfurt Randal Kolo Muani is completely ignored and Goncalo Ramos should not be his ideal solution either. Christophe Galtier's successor lets either Marco Ascensio, Lee Kang-In or Ousmane Dembélé play at the forefront: all players who would rather show their skills in other positions.
“Certainly a dilemma”
After Kylian Mbappé's departure six months ago, Enrique did not want to sign a successor.
He preferred to achieve a collective solution. That his team acts as a tight-knit unit, which has hardly ever been the case on the international stage.
“Of course, Kylian Mbappé can hardly be replaced due to his outstanding abilities, but Paris SG now has to reinvent itself and achieve its goals as a team,” explained Raí.
This new philosophy can only be welcomed, but “the team needs time to find itself so that the automatisms take effect. You can't simply forget about a player who is guaranteed to score at least 40 goals per season overnight.”
But: “There is hardly any time at the highest level. It’s certainly a dilemma for the coaching staff.”
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PSG has been able to win in Munich time and again in the past. For many fans, this trip to the Bavarian capital with a great performance is seen as an opportunity to show everyone. Otherwise there is a risk of a catastrophe.
