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“It’s both beautiful and frustrating,” says the PSG manager. The PSG boss has a complex relationship with how his team’s league matches develop. Whenever the Parisians play, one team presses and the other sits back. “I enjoy facing defensive setups,” he asserts. “I have the most experience with this tactical scenario. I am very respectful of how other teams play. It is a different kind of football from ours, it’s atypical, but I understand and accept it.”

Facing defensive teams is unavoidable for PSG; it's their constant situation, due to the talent imbalance created by economic disparity. Their quality typically shines through and the resistance is overcome with mixed ease. However, this campaign has been more challenging.

Control of the Ball But Insufficient Results

PSG have averaged over 72% ball control in France's top flight so far this season. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had over 76% possession and made over 750 passes, versus just Nice's 182. Before the break, the Portuguese midfielder had 90 touches of the ball – just six fewer than the whole Nice squad – but PSG failed to convert their control. When the first period ended, Nice defender Juma Bah, whose header was cleared off the line by a PSG player, had come closest to scoring.

This match wasn't an exception. They had shared points in 75% of their recent Ligue 1 games. Dominating possession with 71% against the visiting team, but were reliant on a last-minute Senny Mayulu equaliser to salvage a point. Even with dominant control against Lorient in midweek, they managed just one goal and were finally tied. Approximately 33% of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – after Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Strike Force Issues

This reflects the unique approach that PSG receive, but also reflects a serious concern. Their forwards are not scoring. Their star forward's 29 goals last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the continental trophy; A young forward scored 14 occasions in the league; Désiré Doué hit 16 across all tournaments; and Kvaratskhelia scored eight after his January move.

The forward claimed the prestigious award and, while it is debatable that the French star is indeed the best player in the world, it is challenging to deny that he was not the outstanding individual of the previous term. He has just five goals in 12 games this season. He encountered a muscle problem while on country representation in last month, which led to a dispute between PSG and the French federation that has seen the relationship between the two institutions decline. The player was absent for around several weeks of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. After the win over Nice, he was seen touching his muscle. “It hurts so much,” he told teammate Achraf Hakimi.

Fitness Issues

The PSG coach says their star can play to face Bayern Munich this week in the Champions League but, while he returns to full fitness, teammates must contribute. It won’t be Doué. The former Rennes forward was also hurt in recently. He was recovering to his best when he was struck down with another thigh injury, which is expected to rule him out until January. Their winger is a massive asset to his team but he often excels mainly for the big occasions in the Champions League; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Barcola, PSG’s highest goal-getter in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight games and is in a dry spell. Something of a purple-patch forward, the scoring will surely resume, but he can’t be expected to be the goalscorer in this high-priced PSG attack.

The Portuguese striker scored the winner against Nice but will he maintain his position in the team?

This was the role assigned to the Portuguese when he arrived in recently. Their number nine reached the milestone of 100 appearances for PSG against Nice, but he has been a substitute in over 50% of those appearances. With a significant portion after being introduced from the bench, he has very much assumed the role of the “finisher”, partly because of his ineffectiveness when selected, but mostly due to his boss's unwillingness to start with a out-and-out forward. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? Basically because I come off the bench more than I start,” remarked Ramos after the match.

Critical Moment

With the goals drying up across the frontline, Ramos’ last-gasp winner has given his coach something to consider. The striker missed three chances before converting his next and deciding the game, but the fact that their prime opportunities were created for him is telling. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were buying when they invested €65m. “He is a very important player for us because he is constantly prepared for every match, even if he begins on the bench,” said their coach. “Five minutes of Gonçalo on the pitch are valuable time.” 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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