PSG Face an Unusual Issue: Goal Lack in Ligue 1

“It’s a mix of beauty and frustration,” remarks Luis Enrique. The French club's coach has a tricky relationship with how his team’s league matches develop. In PSG's matches, one team goes forward and the other defends. “Breaking down deep defenses appeals to me,” he maintains. “It is the phase of play that I am most familiar with. I respect opponents' playing styles. While it differs from our philosophy, I comprehend and embrace it.”

Accepting low blocks is unavoidable for PSG; it's their constant situation, a result of the skill gap created by financial imbalance. Their talent usually tells and the resistance is overcome with different levels of challenge. But it has been tougher this season.

Game Dominance Yet Limited Output

PSG have averaged 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 760 passes, against just Nice's 182. Before the break, the Portuguese midfielder had numerous ball contacts – just six fewer than the whole Nice squad – but PSG couldn't translate superiority into goals. When the whistle blew for the interval, the visiting team's defender, whose goal-bound attempt was blocked by a PSG player, had come closest to scoring.

This performance wasn't isolated. The Parisians had tied 75% of their recent Ligue 1 games. With 71% ball control against the visiting team, but were needing a last-minute Senny Mayulu equaliser to secure one point. Even with 77% possession against another French side in midweek, they only scored once and were ultimately held to a draw. Almost one third of the way into the season, PSG are only the fifth top scorers in Ligue 1 – trailing Marseille, Lille, Monaco and Strasbourg.

Forward Line Issues

This reflects the special treatment that PSG attract, but also indicates a serious concern. Their goal scorers are underperforming. Ousmane Dembélé’s 29 scores last season aided in securing Ligue 1 and the continental trophy; A young forward scored 14 goals in the league; The talented youngster hit 16 total goals; and The Georgian international scored eight after his mid-season arrival.

Dembélé won the prestigious award and, while it is arguable that the France international is indeed the world's top footballer, it is hard to dispute that he was not the top performer of the previous term. He has just five goals in 12 matches this season. He experienced a hamstring injury while on international duty in early autumn, which caused a dispute between PSG and the national squad that has seen the relationship between the two institutions deteriorate. Dembélé missed around a month and a half of action as a result, but he hasn't fully recovered. Post-match against their rivals, he was seen touching his muscle. “The pain is intense,” he told club colleague.

Player Availability

Their manager says the forward should be available to face their European opponents this week in the continental tournament but, while he regains his form, teammates must contribute. Unfortunately, Doué cannot help. The promising talent was also sidelined in the same month. He was just getting back to his best when he was struck down with another thigh injury, which is expected to rule him out until next month. Their winger is a valuable player to his team but he often reserves his top displays for the crucial games in the European stage; he is still without a goal in Ligue 1 this season. Barcola, PSG’s leading marksman in all competitions this season, has just a single strike in his last eight matches and is in a fallow period. A player who scores in bursts, the scoring will surely resume, but he isn't the solution to be the goalscorer in this expensively assembled PSG attack.

Their center forward found the match-winner against Nice but will he keep his place in the team?

That was the job given to Gonçalo Ramos when he joined in last year. The international forward achieved the landmark of 100 matches for PSG against Nice, but he has started on the sidelines in the majority of those appearances. Having scored 18 of his 38 goals after coming on as a substitute, he has clearly taken on the role of the “impact player”, somewhat owing to his limited contribution when selected, but primarily because of his coach's hesitation to field a conventional No 9. “How come I score frequently as a substitute? Well, simply because I come off the bench more than I start,” quipped Ramos after the match.

Turning Point

With the goals drying up across the forward line, his late decisive goal has given his manager food for thought. The striker was unsuccessful with earlier attempts before converting his next and deciding the game, but the fact that the team's clearest openings were created for him is revealing. He’s an instinctive poacher and that is what PSG were buying when they made a significant investment. “He's a crucial squad member for us because he is continuously available for every match, regardless of his starting status,” said Luis Enrique. “Short cameos from the striker are quality minutes.” Perhaps now is the opportunity for the impact substitute to play a major part.

French League 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

League Standings