ANALYSE – Still clumsy on Friday, in Auxerre, the Rouge et Bleu brought back a small point and doubts in Paris before going to Salzburg on Tuesday in the Champions League.
“I don’t have the magic formula”. These are the words of Luis Enrique, after PSG's goalless draw at Auxerre (0-0), Friday, during the 14th day of Ligue 1. Second draw in a row in the league for the Parisians, after the one conceded against Nantes (1-1) last week. The content was, however, significantly better than against the Canaries. No photo. And total domination. The figures are clear: 73% possession, 25 shots (including 11 on target) to 6, 674 passes, 55% of duels won, 15 corners… “He didn’t miss anything… except the goal”summarizes Nuno Mendes, on DAZN. “It’s football, sometimes we win… and sometimes we don’t, sometimes we score and sometimes we don’t”juge Willian Pacho.
Except that it happens a lot in Paris lately. Luis Enrique's players have only scored once in their last three matches, going back to the defeat against Bayern (1-0) in Munich. An awkwardness which has particularly affected Paris in the Champions League so far. Only three goals scored in five C1 matches this season. The Rouge et Bleu are also at the top of the L1 attack rankings with 37 goals.
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Auxerre-PSG: Léon heroic, Hakimi furious, Paris unable to score… The tops and the flops
Donovan Léon disgusted the Parisian attackers.
Christophe Pélissier
Gonçalo Ramos from the head, Nuno Mendes from the right, Kang-in Lee from the left, Achraf Hakimi in force… We are not going to list all the Parisian opportunities. There were crates of them. But once again, the awkwardness spoke. “I said that to achieve a result against Paris, we would have to have a lot of solidarity, self-sacrifice and risk-taking with the ball. Above all, we needed a big Dono”whispered Christophe Pélissier. «Dono»it's Donovan Léon, the Auxerre goalkeeper. 11 stops. And big saves. A wall. “He disgusted the Parisian attackers and allowed us to take this point, important from an accounting point of view but above all mentally”recognizes the AJA coach. Léon again made the difference at the end of the match, including a face-to-face with Randal Kolo Muani. Impassable. And varnished too, he who was saved by his bar on a strike from Vitinha. “The opposing goalkeeper was very strong”judge Luis Enrique.
Despite Léon's prowess and even if we remember that Auxerre is the second best team in the championship at home, this draw tastes like defeat for Paris. Above all, it is anything but reassuring before a crucial match in Salzburg on Tuesday in the Champions League. In Austria, PSG will have to do without Ousmane Dembélé, suspended. This is undoubtedly why Luis Enrique, like against Nantes, decided to do without the French international in Burgundy. Doubled by Jonathan David in the scorers' ranking (11 against 10), Bradley Barcola once again remained silent. The same goes for the returning Gonçalo Ramos or the decommissioned Randal Kolo Muani. Running out of fuel.
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Ligue 1: unable to score, PSG remains silent and loses two points at Auxerre
Same causes, same effects
However, we will have to score at the Red Bull Arena. No choice. Before facing City and Stuttgart in January, it would be better to refuel against this modest Austrian team… “We insisted, I have no other formula (than that of last week after Nantes), insist, insist, insist. (…) We had 25 situations, we did a good job offensively. But we are not going to lose faith, we are going to listen to the criticism, we are prepared for that, and we are going to continue to insist. (…) Everyone is so negative, seeing where the mistakes are, wondering what we need… We need to insist and score, it’s a sport in which you have to score goals. But I'm happy with the team's performance, not the result. We must continue, and continue to think positively too”assures Luis Enrique, who had also chosen to move Warren Zaire-Emery back into the line of three behind during the possession phases. It was Fabian Ruiz who stuck to it against the FCN. This helps give Nuno Mendes more freedom to move up. In goal, Gigio Donnarumma, who saved the house against Hamid Traoré at the end of the game.
In short, same causes, same effects for this PSG lacking offensive talent, it's not new, but which recites the dogmatic football of Luis Enrique well. As is often the case, the intensity was there, as was the counter-pressing. “Paris was very good in defensive transitions and prevented us from expressing ourselves offensively”notes Christophe Pélissier. That's not enough.
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Ligue 1: “I don’t have the magic formula”, complains Luis Enrique after Auxerre-PSG
It's a question of confidence in front of goal, a little more calm in front of the goalkeeper.
Nuno Mendes
It remains to find the… magic formula to restart the machine, break the negative spiral and put this damn ball at the bottom of the opponent’s cage. For Luis Enrique, it is in any case “not a mental problem. I would criticize my players if they were not motivated, but as they give everything… It is in their interest to score, it is in the interest of all of us.. Not wrong. So what? What's the problem? “It’s a question of confidence in front of goal, a little more calm in front of the goalkeeper”devine Mendes. “I liked our mentality”insists Pacho. And to add: “We will have to analyze the match carefully and act as a team to win. We will have a very important match to win on Tuesday.. That at least is true. A match during which the Parisians will be “without net”says “Lucho”. And with a little doubt in our heads too…
