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“It’s a mix of beauty and frustration,” remarks the team's head coach. The French club's coach has a complex relationship with how his team’s league matches develop. In PSG's matches, one team goes forward and the other sits back. “I like attacking a low block,” he asserts. “This is the game situation I know best. I respect opponents' playing styles. It is a different kind of football from ours, it’s atypical, but I understand and accept it.”

Dealing with deep defenses is unavoidable for PSG; this is their regular experience, a result of the talent imbalance created by financial imbalance. Their talent usually tells and the resistance is overcome with varying degrees of difficulty. Yet this term has proven more difficult.

Dominant Possession Yet Insufficient Output

The Parisians have maintained 72.5% possession in France's top flight so far this campaign. Facing Nice in their recent match, they had 76.5% of the ball and made numerous passes, against just 182 for Nice. Before the break, their playmaker had 90 touches of the ball – only six less than the complete opposition side – but PSG struggled to make their domination tell. At halftime, opposition defender Bah, whose header was cleared off the line by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, had nearly scored.

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 reliant on a dying moments Senny Mayulu equaliser to secure one point. Even with 77% of the ball against Lorient in midweek, they only scored once and were finally tied. Almost one third of the way into the season, PSG are ranked fifth for goals in Ligue 1 – after Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Attacking Unit Issues

It is a result of the special treatment that PSG attract, but also indicates a real issue. Their goal scorers are underperforming. Their star forward's 29 strikes last season helped PSG win Ligue 1 and the European Cup; Bradley Barcola scored 14 occasions in the league; Désiré Doué hit 16 in all competitions; and Their winter signing scored eight after his January move.

The forward claimed the Ballon d’Or and, while it is debatable that the national team player is indeed the best player in the world, it is challenging to deny that he was not the outstanding individual of the last season. He's recorded merely five goals in 12 appearances this season. He encountered a thigh issue while on country representation in September, which led to a dispute between PSG and the national squad that has seen the connection between club and country deteriorate. Dembélé missed around a month and a half of action as a result, but he still doesn’t look right. Following the victory against Nice, he was seen holding his thigh. “It's very painful,” he told fellow player Hakimi.

Player Availability

Their manager says Dembélé will be fit to face their European opponents this week in the continental tournament but, while he returns to full fitness, squad members need to perform. Unfortunately, Doué cannot help. The promising talent 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 important contributor to his team but he often reserves his top displays for the important matches in the continental competition; he is goalless so far in Ligue 1 this season. Another forward, PSG’s leading marksman in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight matches and is in a dry spell. Something of a purple-patch forward, the goals will undoubtedly return, but he can’t be expected to be the goalscorer in this costly PSG attack.

Their center forward scored the winner against Nice but will he maintain his position in the team?

These were the expectations handed to the Portuguese when he joined in last year. Their number nine achieved the landmark of 100 games for PSG against Nice, but he has started on the sidelines in the majority of those appearances. Having scored a significant portion after being introduced from the bench, he has very much assumed the role of the “finisher”, partially due to his limited contribution when starting, but mostly due to his coach's hesitation to field a conventional No 9. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? Basically because I'm substituted in more often than I begin games,” joked Ramos after the match.

Turning Point

With their attack struggling across the frontline, his late decisive goal has given his manager food for thought. The centre-forward was unsuccessful with earlier attempts before scoring his final and deciding the game, but the fact that their prime opportunities came to him is telling. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were investing in when they invested €65m. “His role is vital for us because he is constantly prepared for every match, regardless of his starting status,” said their coach. “Even brief appearances from Gonçalo are valuable time.” The moment might have come for the impact substitute to play a major part.

Domestic Competition Results

• 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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