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“The situation is both pleasing and irritating,” says Luis Enrique. The PSG boss has a complex relationship with how his squad's league matches play out. When PSG are involved, one team attacks and the other defends. “I enjoy facing defensive setups,” he asserts. “I have the most experience with this tactical scenario. I respect opponents' playing styles. Though unconventional compared to our style, I acknowledge and welcome it.”

Facing defensive teams isn’t really a choice for PSG; it is simply their reality, a result of the skill gap created by budget inequality. Their superior ability generally prevails and the defensive wall is broken with mixed ease. But it has been tougher this season.

Control of the Ball But Limited Returns

The French champions have recorded over 72% ball control in France's top flight so far this season. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had dominant ball control and made numerous passes, compared to just 182 for Nice. At the interval, the Portuguese midfielder had 90 touches of the ball – just six fewer than the entire Nice team – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the whistle blew for the interval, opposition defender Bah, whose header was cleared off the line by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, had been the most dangerous.

This match wasn't an exception. PSG had drawn three out of four Ligue 1 games. Dominating possession with 71% against the visiting team, but were needing a late Mayulu leveler to salvage a point. And, despite having 77% possession against another French side in midweek, they only scored once and were ultimately held to a draw. Nearly a third of the way into the season, PSG are ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – after several other French clubs.

Attacking Unit Issues

It is a result of the unique approach that PSG garner, but also indicates a real issue. Their forwards are not scoring. Ousmane Dembélé’s 29 goals last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the European Cup; A young forward scored 14 goals in the league; The talented youngster hit 16 across all tournaments; and Kvaratskhelia scored eight after his mid-season arrival.

He received the prestigious award and, while it is contestable that the French star is indeed the world's top footballer, it is challenging to deny that he was not the outstanding individual of the 2024-25 campaign. He's recorded merely five goals in 12 matches this season. He experienced a thigh issue while on national team service in September, which led to a dispute between PSG and the French federation that has seen the ties between both parties worsen. The player was absent for around six weeks of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. Post-match against their rivals, he was seen clutching his hamstring. “It's very painful,” he told teammate Achraf Hakimi.

Injury Concerns

Their manager says Dembélé will be fit to face Bayern Munich this week in the Champions League but, while he regains his form, other players have to step up. It won’t be Doué. The former Rennes forward was also sidelined in recently. He was just getting back to his best when he was affected by another thigh injury, which is likely to keep him out until next month. Their winger is a valuable player to his team but he often excels mainly for the big occasions in the European stage; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Their current top scorer, PSG’s top scorer in all competitions this season, has just one goal in his last eight games and is in a fallow period. Something of a purple-patch forward, the scoring will surely resume, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this high-priced PSG attack.

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

That was the job assigned to their striker when he joined in 2023. The international forward achieved the landmark of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has been a substitute in over 50% of those appearances. With nearly half his total after entering as a replacement, he has effectively embraced the role of the “super-sub”, partly because of his lack of impact when selected, but mostly due to his coach's hesitation to begin with a traditional striker. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? The simple reason is my appearances are mainly from the bench,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Critical Moment

With the goals drying up across the forward line, his late decisive goal has given his boss decisions to make. Their number nine missed three chances before converting his next and winning the match, but the fact that the team's clearest openings came to him is revealing. His finishing is instinctive and that is what PSG were acquiring when they made a significant investment. “He's a crucial squad member for us because he is constantly prepared for every match, even if he begins on the bench,” said the manager. “Five minutes of Gonçalo on the pitch are quality minutes.” Perhaps now is the opportunity for the super-sub to play a major part.

Domestic Competition Matches

• 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

League Standings

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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