Paris Saint-Germain find themselves in familiar territory following their midweek defeat against Bayern Munich, as a side that is too strong for its domestic rivals in France struggles in the UEFA Champions League.
However, there is perhaps a difference this time — while PSG have often not lived up to their potential in Europe, this season they appear simply nowhere near as good as the best teams on the continent.
Luis Enrique’s side offered little attacking threat in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss in Munich, in which goalkeeper Matfei Safonov was at fault for the goal and Ousmane Dembele was sent off.
Photo: AFP
PSG have just four points and three defeats in five games in the Champions League, meaning they sit 25th out of 36 teams.
That leaves them one place and two points outside the qualifying spots for February’s knockout phase play-offs, and they would surely need to win at least two of their three remaining matches to avoid elimination.
Such a fragile position means Luis Enrique is naturally in the firing line, with doubts surrounding his tactics — “The method without any effect,” read one headline in sports daily L’Equipe on Thursday.
In particular, his penchant for playing without a center-forward since the departure of Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid and the loss of Goncalo Ramos to injury.
Randal Kolo Muani, an 80 million euros (US$84.6 million) signing last year from Juventus, was expected to step up following Mbappe’s exit, but has become an outcast.
A France regular, Kolo Muani has started just twice all season for PSG and did not come off the bench against Bayern.
Yet Paris have scored only three goals in five Champions League matches, one of which was an own goal.
“To be the coach of PSG is a privilege. The pressure I put on myself is greater than any external pressure,” Enrique said in Munich.
“I am not here just to pass the time. My objective is to win titles and to do so now, not in the future,” he added.
PSG are on course to do that domestically, as they are unbeaten in Ligue 1 and six points clear of nearest challengers Monaco before hosting struggling Nantes today.
At home, they average three goals a game with Bradley Barcola their leading marksman on 10. They have lost just one of their last 41 Ligue 1 matches.
France’s other Champions League representatives — Monaco, Lille and Brest — are all doing well in Europe, but it is not a great look for Ligue 1 that PSG continue to cruise at home while toiling abroad.
The current vintage might be the weakest PSG side since the first season of the Qatari takeover in the 2011-2012 season, with the possible exception of 2016-2017.
That latter campaign followed Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s departure and was prior to the arrivals in the 2017-2018 season of Neymar from Barcelona for a world record fee of 222 million euros, and Mbappe from Monaco, who signed on a one-year loan with a mandatory purchase of 180 million euros.
Monaco pipped PSG to the title in 2016-2017, and appear the most likely threat to their hegemony again this time.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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