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“The situation is both pleasing and irritating,” remarks the team's head coach. The PSG boss has a complicated relationship with how his club's league matches develop. In PSG's matches, one team goes forward and the other sits back. “Breaking down deep defenses appeals to me,” he asserts. “This is the game situation I know best. I appreciate the diversity of football approaches. While it differs from our philosophy, I comprehend and embrace it.”

Dealing with deep defenses is unavoidable for PSG; it is simply their reality, due to the talent imbalance created by economic disparity. Their quality typically shines through and the resistance is overcome with varying degrees of difficulty. But it has been tougher this season.

Control of the Ball Yet Limited Results

The Parisians have maintained 72.5% possession in the French league so far this term. Against Nice on Saturday, they had dominant ball control and made 760 passes, versus just Nice's 182. By half-time, their playmaker had 90 touches of the ball – just six fewer than the whole Nice squad – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. At halftime, opposition defender Bah, whose goal-bound attempt was blocked by a PSG player, had been the most dangerous.

This performance wasn't isolated. They had shared points in three of their previous four Ligue 1 games. With 71% ball control against Strasbourg, but were needing a last-minute Mayulu leveler to salvage a point. Although possessing dominant control against another French side in midweek, they only scored once and were finally tied. Approximately 33% of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – trailing Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Strike Force Struggles

This reflects the special treatment that PSG garner, but also reflects a genuine problem. Their goal scorers are underperforming. Their star forward's 29 scores last season contributed to PSG's Ligue 1 and the Champions League; Bradley Barcola scored 14 times in the league; The talented youngster hit 16 across all tournaments; and Their winter signing scored several times after his mid-season arrival.

The forward claimed the Ballon d’Or and, while it is arguable that the national team player is indeed the best player in the world, it is difficult to argue that he was not the top performer of the 2024-25 campaign. He has just five scores in 12 games this season. He encountered a thigh issue while on country representation in September, which caused a blame game between PSG and the French federation that has seen the relationship between the two institutions deteriorate. The player was absent for around six weeks of action as a result, but he appears below his best. After the win over Nice, he was seen touching his muscle. “The pain is intense,” he told club colleague.

Player Availability

Their manager says their star can play to face the German giants this week in the European competition but, while he returns to full fitness, squad members need to perform. It won’t be Doué. The young attacker was also injured in September. He was returning to his best when he was affected by another leg problem, which is likely to keep him out until the new year. Kvaratskhelia is a important contributor to his team but he often reserves his top displays for the important matches in the European stage; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Barcola, PSG’s leading marksman in all competitions this season, has just one score in his last eight appearances and is in a fallow period. Something of a purple-patch forward, the goals will undoubtedly return, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this costly PSG attack.

The Portuguese striker found the match-winner against Nice but will he remain in the lineup in the team?

That was the job assigned to their striker when he arrived in 2023. The Portugal striker hit the century of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has come off the bench in the majority of those appearances. Having scored 18 of his 38 goals after being introduced from the bench, he has clearly taken on the role of the “super-sub”, partly because of his limited contribution when picked, but mostly due to his manager’s reluctance to start with a out-and-out forward. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? Well, simply because my appearances are mainly from the bench,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Decisive Period

With their attack struggling across the attacking unit, the match-winning strike has given his coach something to consider. The striker was unsuccessful with earlier attempts before converting his next and winning the match, but the fact that their prime opportunities were created for him is telling. His finishing is instinctive and that is what PSG were buying when they invested €65m. “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. “Short cameos from the striker are productive periods.” The moment might have come for the super-sub to play a major part.

Ligue 1 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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